A new report from CheapOair shows that domestic travel is booming.
According to the company’s summary of Quarter 1 travel trends from 2013 through 2017, released in recognition of National Travel and Tourism Week, travel within the United States is up nearly 50 percent since 2013, while outbound travel to international destinations is up a massive 170 percent. The 34th annual National Travel and Tourism Week (May 7-13, 2017), celebrates what travel means to American jobs, economic growth, and personal well-being.
Here are some highlights from the report:
- In the past five years, domestic travel within the United States has increased nearly 50 percent with the most significant jump of 15 percent occurring between 2016 and 2017.
- Ticket prices for domestic flights in 2017 were just slightly higher than 2016, however, costs still came in 15 percent lower than 2013. Average domestic ticket price for Q1 2017 was $346.75.
- Travel from the U.S. to international destinations has seen a substantial increase of 170 percent since 2013. The largest increase came during the past year with a 30 percent jump in international trips.
- Prices to international destinations were down over 17 percent with an average ticket price of $728.78.
Top Domestic and International Destinations in First Quarter 2017
Domestic Destinations |
International Destinations
|
Los Angeles, CA |
Manila, Philippines |
Chicago, IL |
Taipei, Taiwan |
New York, NY |
London, England |
Dallas, TX |
Toronto, Canada |
Charlotte, NC |
Seoul, South Korea |
San Francisco, CA |
Mexico City, Mexico |
Denver, CO |
Dubai, U.A.E. |
Newark, NJ |
Istanbul, Turkey |
Houston, TX |
Beijing, China |
Miami, FL |
Paris, France |
In addition to traffic and pricing data, CheapOair noticed some other travel details. Thursday is the most popular departure day, while Sunday and Monday are the least popular days to depart. The data also showed that travelers are increasing the length of the trips they are taking. In 2013, the average trip duration was 10.03 days which jumped to 13.61 in 2017. Overall, the total number of U.S. passengers has grown by 85 percent in just five years, indicating that as flying is becoming increasingly affordable, people are traveling now more than ever.
The statistics referenced are based on travel departing and returning between January 1 – March 31 for each year from 2013 through 2017.