Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Recreation and Travel

Introduction

Recreation and Travel lead costs ran hot and highly variable across all countries, diverging sharply from the steadier global benchmark. The category opened with premium cost-per-lead (CPL) levels in late 2024, spiked again in February, then steadily cooled into late Q3, landing well below the overall market by September–October. The story is one of pronounced seasonality, dramatic peaks, and an unusually wide trading range.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Recreation and Travel across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

Over the full period, Recreation and Travel CPL averaged about 68.43, versus a 40.94 global average—roughly 67% higher. The category’s range was extreme: a high of 184.05 in December 2024 and a low of 18.40 in September 2025, a 10x swing peak-to-trough.

The arc is clear in monthly movements:

• November 2024 started elevated at 138.22, then surged to 184.05 in December (+46 points).
• January dropped sharply to 33.64 (−150 points), before a February rebound to 146.49 (+113).
• From March through July, costs normalized into the mid-40s to mid-60s (March 45.84; April 65.91; May 47.50; June 48.61; July 44.59).
• Late summer brought a step-down: August 28.52, September 18.40 (the period low), and a modest October uptick to 19.37.

Volatility was the defining feature. Average month-to-month absolute change reached 43.68 points for Recreation and Travel, compared with just 3.22 for the global benchmark—an order of magnitude more choppy.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The category shows classic Q4 pressure with elevated CPLs in November–December, followed by a Q1 reset in January. An atypical February spike briefly reintroduced high acquisition costs before a mid-year stretch of relative stability. From August onward, lead costs steadily softened, with September marking the trough and October edging slightly higher but still near the floor. In contrast, the overall market typically saw steadier conditions, with costs clustering in the mid-30s to high-40s and a gentle rise into late Q3.

Section 3: Recreation and Travel vs. Global

Recreation and Travel was consistently more expensive and more volatile for most of the period, but the relationship flipped late in the year. Key comparisons:

• Average CPL: 68.43 for Recreation and Travel vs. 40.94 globally (+67%).
• December was the widest premium: +365% versus global (184.05 vs. 39.63).
• September was the widest discount: −62% versus global (18.40 vs. 48.29).
• Near parity appeared in January (−6% vs. global) and July (+5% vs. global).
• Trend direction diverged: the global benchmark rose gradually into Q3, while Recreation and Travel fell from February’s spike to a deep Q3 trough, ending October −86% from November’s starting point.

Closing

Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead show that Recreation and Travel across all countries experienced elevated, highly variable CPLs, with Q4 spikes, a February rebound, and a decisive late-year slide well below the global average. Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks for the Recreation and Travel industry across all countries helps teams interpret country-specific ad costs, compare CPL analysis to the broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, and contextualize category-level performance dynamics.