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India drives travel app downloads globally but trails Europe and US in revenue

Despite ranking second globally for downloads, India’s contribution to overall revenue remained minimal, indicating a significant disconnect between user adoption and revenue generation in the market, the report stated.

By  Storyboard18Jan 8, 2026 2:45 PM
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India drives travel app downloads globally but trails Europe and US in revenue
Despite ranking second globally for downloads, India’s contribution to overall revenue remained minimal, indicating a significant disconnect between user adoption and revenue generation in the market, the report stated.

Europe and the United States continued to dominate the global travel app market in terms of revenue in 2024, jointly accounting for 78% of total earnings, even as India emerged as one of the largest contributors to global downloads, according to data released by Statista.

The report highlighted a widening gap between regions where travel apps are downloaded in large numbers and those where they generate the most revenue, underlining differences in monetisation potential across global markets.

In terms of downloads, Europe accounted for 29% of global travel app installations in 2024, followed by India at 15% and the United States at 14%, Statista data showed. China contributed 10% of total downloads, while other regions together accounted for 11%.

Despite ranking second globally for downloads, India’s contribution to overall revenue remained minimal, indicating a significant disconnect between user adoption and revenue generation in the market, the report stated.

Revenue distribution presented a contrasting picture, with Europe leading global earnings at 40% and the United States close behind at 38%. Together, the two regions captured 78% of worldwide travel app revenue in 2024. Other regions accounted for 11% of revenue, while China generated just 3% despite its sizeable share of downloads. India’s revenue contribution was described as minimal in comparison to its download volume.

The data also showed strong growth momentum in the travel app segment during the first nine months of 2024. Between January and September, global downloads increased by 4.4%, while revenue rose sharply by 19.5%, reflecting stronger monetisation even with modest user growth.

Seasonal trends remained pronounced, with both downloads and revenue hitting their lowest levels in February each year, according to Statista. From February onwards, activity steadily increased, peaking in July, in line with global travel demand and vacation booking cycles.

The findings underscore how developed markets continue to command disproportionate revenue share in the travel app economy, even as emerging markets such as India drive large-scale user adoption without equivalent monetisation.

First Published on Jan 8, 2026 2:47 PM

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