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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Recreation and Travel in United States

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Cost Per Lead for Recreation and Travel in United States

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • Cost per lead in Recreation and Travel for the United States averaged $75.89 versus a global baseline of $36.04 over the same period—about 2.1x above market.
  • The series was highly volatile: average month-to-month absolute change was $62.72 (baseline: $4.75), with a high of $194.72 (December 2024) and a low of $10.53 (September 2025).
  • 8 of 12 months ran above the global benchmark; costs fell below market from July through September 2025.
  • Clear seasonality: sharp Q4 run-up and a February rebound, followed by a steady softening into late summer. From October 2024 to September 2025, CPL declined 55.7% (baseline -33.7%).

Overview

This analysis looks at cost per lead trends for industry Recreation and Travel and target country United States compared to the global trend. The analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. It summarizes monthly medians to surface Facebook Ads benchmarks and country-specific advertising costs for efficient comparison.

Selected trend highlights (United States, Recreation and Travel)

  • Average: $75.89 across Oct 2024–Sep 2025.
  • High/low: Peak at $194.72 in December 2024; trough at $10.53 in September 2025. Range: $184.19.
  • Volatility: Average absolute month-to-month change of $62.72, marked by large swings:
  • Q4 surge: $23.76 (October) to $139.98 (November) to $194.72 (December).
  • Sharp reset in January 2025 to $41.46, another spike in February to $188.14, then a gradual descent: $75.09 (April) → $70.01 (May) → $55.47 (June) → $35.40 (July) → $21.72 (August) → $10.53 (September).
  • Trend from first to last month: -55.7%.

Seasonality is pronounced. Costs typically increase in Q4 around holiday periods, visible in the November–December spikes, with a post-holiday reset in January and a secondary high in February before easing into summer.

Comparison to global baseline

  • Overall level: Selected average $75.89 vs baseline $36.04—about 2.1x higher.
  • High/low: Baseline peak $41.58 (November 2024) and low $20.63 (September 2025)—a much tighter range ($20.95) than selected ($184.19).
  • Volatility: Selected month-to-month change averaged $62.72 vs baseline $4.75, indicating materially higher instability in the United States Recreation and Travel results.
  • Seasonal patterning:
  • Q4 2024: Selected averaged $119.49 vs baseline $37.44 (≈3.2x above market).
  • Jan–Mar 2025: Selected averaged $94.66 vs baseline $35.75 (≈2.6x above).
  • Jul–Sep 2025: Selected averaged $22.55 vs baseline $32.11—below market.
  • Relative positioning by month: Above market in 8 of 12 months (Nov 2024–Jun 2025); below market in October 2024 and July–September 2025.
  • First-to-last change: Selected -55.7% vs baseline -33.7%—a steeper decline into late summer for the selected segment.

What this means for benchmarking

Across the period, United States Recreation and Travel cost per lead ran persistently above average during peak seasonal months, then fell below the global trend in late summer. The series is notably more volatile than the global benchmark, with outsized spikes in November–December and February, and the lowest costs observed in September.

Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Recreation and Travel and United States helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Recreation and Travel industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting United States, advertisers often face higher costs due to high competition and purchasing power. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.

Why we use median instead of average

We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.

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The data behind the benchmarks

All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

United States Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 20Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb 17Presidents' Day
May 26Memorial Day
Jun 19Juneteenth
Jul 4Independence Day
Sep 1Labor Day
Oct 13Columbus Day
Nov 11Veterans Day
Nov 27Thanksgiving Day
Dec 25Christmas Day

Key Shopping Season

Late November (Thanksgiving & Black Friday weekend), December (Christmas), Back-to-school (July–September), Summer travel season (Memorial Day onwards)

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might rise around major holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, especially in travel and entertainment. Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend triggers massive spikes in retail ad competition. December ad demand typically peaks—retail campaigns require significantly higher budgets. Back-to-school promotions drive increased competition. Juneteenth may see regional engagement rise.

What is considered a good cost per lead on Facebook in 2025?

A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.

Why is my CPL higher than industry averages?

Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.

Does campaign objective impact CPL?

Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.

How can I generate leads at a lower cost without hurting lead quality?

Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.

Should I optimize for leads or conversions if my goal is pipeline growth?

If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.