Easter travel boom
U.S. Easter spending is set to hit a record $24.9 billion in 2026 — up 5.5% from last year — signaling stronger demand for travel, gifts and celebrations. Europe’s Easter surge shows up locally too: Cardiff Airport expects to handle over 46,000 passengers for the holiday, highlighting crowding and accommodation pressure. ( )
NRF’s survey shows shoppers are budgeting a record $195.59 per person for Easter in 2026, up from $192.01 in 2023, based on a 7,845‑respondent study conducted March 2–11 with a margin of error of ±1.1 percentage points. (nrf.com) NRF’s category breakdown puts food spending at $7.5 billion, gifts at $3.9 billion, clothing at $3.7 billion, candy at $3.5 billion and flowers at $2.2 billion for this Easter. (nrf.com) The survey finds 92% of consumers plan to buy candy and 90% plan to buy food for Easter, while 64% plan to purchase gifts and 51% plan to buy clothing. (nrf.com) Retail channels data show discount stores as the leading shopping destination at 55%, department stores at 42% and online at 34%, and NRF estimates 80% of consumers will celebrate Easter in 2026. (nrf.com) Cardiff Airport’s operational plan covers the period March 27–April 12 and forecasts 46,158 passengers during those dates, split into 23,211 arrivals and 22,947 departures, an 18% year‑on‑year rise. (wales247.co.uk) Cardiff identifies Alicante, Dublin and Málaga as its busiest Easter routes, cites Ryanair, Vueling and TUI as leading operators, and says expanding services — including a new direct Toronto option — come as the airport approaches roughly one million annual passengers and prepares for a busier summer. (wales247.co.uk) U.S. travel data from the U.S. Travel Association’s March dashboard show domestic travel indicators holding steady into 2026 and total travel spending up about 1.0% year‑over‑year, supporting NRF’s signal of sustained spring demand for travel. (ustravel.org)
