In this article, we will go over the 30 cheap countries to visit with family. If you want to skip our discussion about the tourism industry, its recovery from the pandemic, and future trends in tourism, visit 15 Cheap Countries to Visit With Family.
The world's largest tourism trade fair, ITB Berlin, took place from the 5th to 7th March with over 24,000 estimated visitors. One of the highlights of the trade was Saudi Arabia celebrating 100 million tourists in 2023. The country has recently shifted its focus to leisure tourism, recognizing its importance.
The tourism industry has a significant economic footprint on the global economy as it accounted for 9.2% of global GDP in 2023. Some countries, such as Macao, rely heavily on tourism as more than half of their GDP depends on it.
The global travel technology industry is closely related to the tourism industry. IMARC Group values this industry at $10 billion in 2023 and projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2024 to 2032. By the end of this period, the global travel technology industry is expected to reach a value of $17.8 billion.
Although the travel industry faced challenges during the pandemic, it is on the road to recovery. Travel restrictions imposed to control the spread of COVID-19 resulted in a 62% dip in export revenue generated by international tourism in 2020. Nights spent by tourists decreased by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. In addition, the share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP went from 10.4% in 2019 to 7.6% in 2020. However, it bounced back to 9.2% in 2023 and is expected to reach 11.6% by 2033.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, in the first quarter of 2023, international visitors reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels. International tourist arrivals also bounced back to 88% of their pre-pandemic levels between January and December 2023 and are expected to increase by 2% in 2024, compared to 2019.
According to a report by Deloitte, the composition of the traveling public has entered into a transitional period, which will shape trends in the industry. This transition is characterized by an increasing proportion of the younger generation as boomers have begun to age out of frequent travel. Since the younger generation such as Generation Z and millennials have less spending power compared to boomers, travelers are increasingly looking for low-budget vacations. In fact, according to Deloitte, Americans with household incomes under $100,000 accounted for 46% of intended leisure travel spend in summer 2023.
Much of the current and future trends in the travel industry are focused on Generation Z and millennials as their share of travel spend will rise sharply over the next several years. According to the experts at Deloitte, they will account for more than half of US leisure trips in summer 2030, up from one-third in 2023.
Generation Z and millennials tend to align their purchases with their values. As their share in travel spend grows, demand for environmentally friendly travel options will grow. These generations are aware of the fact that aviation accounts for approximately 2% of global CO2 emissions and so they are looking to minimize the impact their travel has on the environment. According to a survey by Deloitte, one-third of American travelers intend to take some kind of action to travel more sustainably (such as seeking flights with higher sustainability ratings). At 42% for Generation Z and 38% for millennials, this figure was higher for the younger generation.
The younger generation also has a closer relationship with technology compared to boomers. In a Deloitte survey, one in four millennials and 42% of Generation Z travelers said that they had used TikTok to plan trips. The increasing prominence of social video and greater access to AI tools are set to shape trends in the travel industry. Generative AI-powered travel agents are likely to become a norm in the industry.
One of the notable companies in the Industry, Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), is already using AI to enhance customer experience. The company offers a comprehensive platform for travelers to access travel information, reviews, and opinions. Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) added an AI-powered travel itinerary generation to its core trip-planning product. It leverages OpenAI's technology and gathers insights from over a billion reviews to enable users to create personalized itineraries. Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP)'s stock has seen significant growth over the last few months. As of March 16, its stock has surged nearly 69.29% over the past six months.
With that backdrop, let's look at the 30 cheap countries to visit with family.
30 Cheap Countries to Visit With Family
A happy vacationer taking a selfie with their family in front of a grand pool provided by the company.
Methodology
To curate our list of the 30 cheap countries to visit with family, we noted down all the countries on our 50 Most Popular Countries in the World in 2023 list. Then, for each country, we noted down the one-week trip cost for two people as mentioned on Budget Your Trip's website. Finally, we sorted the countries according to the total cost of a week's trip for two people. The lower this cost, the higher the country ranks on our list. It is essential to note that this does not factor in airfare, which could significantly affect the affordability of the destination. In addition, while the cost mentioned is of two people only, it is a good indicator of the overall affordability of the country.
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30 - Belgium
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $2,157
Belgium received more than 3.2 million overnight visitors in 2021, making it one of the most popular countries in the world. It is also home to numerous world heritage sites, including the town of Bruges.
29 - Jordan
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $2,131
Jordan is one of the most affordable Arab countries. It is also quite popular as it received more than two million overnight visitors in 2021. The country is home to Petra, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the wonders of the world.
28 - Portugal
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $2,067
Portugal is one of the most budget-friendly destinations in Europe, with the cost of living 38% lower than Sacramento, California. It is also quite popular, as more than 6.3 million visitors stayed overnight in the country in 2021.
27 - Macao
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $2,034
Macao is 27th on our list of 30 cheap countries to visit with family. It is also one of the most popular travel destinations, as the region received more than 39 million tourists yearly before the pandemic.
Mexico ranks 25th on our list of the 30 cheap countries to visit with family. The country is quite popular, as it ranked 7th on our 50 most popular countries in the world list, with almost 32 million overnight visitors in 2021.
24 - Israel
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,730
Israel, while one of the cheap countries to visit with families, may not be an ideal tourist destination for a while. Although the country has a lot to offer on a budget, the ongoing conflicts do not make it currently suitable to travel with family, especially after Iranian bombing of the country in response to Israel's attack on Iranian embassy in Damascus.
23 - Japan
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,730
Japan is a popular destination that offers an affordable family vacation. Tourists spent more than $5.25 million in 2021 in Japan.
22 - Norway
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,669
Norway ranks 22nd on our list of the 30 cheap countries to visit with family. The country is famous for its fjords and aurora lights.
21 - Cyprus
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,569
Cyprus is a popular tourist destination, with almost 2 million overnight visitors in 2021. The most important source of tourism in the country is the United Kingdom, which had a total share of 37.9% of the total tourist traffic in the country in 2022.
20 - Czech Republic
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,544
The Czech Republic is one of the most budget-friendly family holiday destinations in Europe. Consumer prices in the country are 43.4% lower than in the United States, which translates into a low-cost vacation.
19 - South Korea
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,541
South Korea is budget-friendly and quite a popular tourist destination. It ranks 15th on our 50 most popular countries list, with 3.2 million overnight visitors in 2021.
18 - Croatia
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,467
Croatia is 18th on our list of the 30 cheap countries to visit with the family. The country experienced a surge in tourism after the popular TV show Game of Thrones was shot there.
17 - Slovenia
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,415
Slovenia received more than 1.8 million overnight visitors in 2021, making it one of the most popular countries in the world.
16 - Brazil
One Week Trip Cost For Two People - $1,216
Brazil ranks 16th on our list of cheap countries to visit with family. It ranks 36th on our list of the most popular countries as tourism there continued to grow since the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.
