Not only will 88 percent of Americans travel this summer, almost all of those (91 percent) plan to travel more than or about the same as they did this past year—that was according to TripIt’s May research. To learn more about their travel behaviors, the travel planning site dug into its reservation data and found that not a single travel booking type (flights, rental cars or accommodations) is trending down. Some—like international flights—are on track for 100 percent year-over-year growth.
Backing up a tweet from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that said the Friday before the long Fourth of July weekend was its busiest ever, TripIt’s data from July showed that domestic flight bookings were up 42 percent compared to 2022, while international flight volume increased 41 percent. Popular domestic destinations included Denver, Chicago, New York, San Diego, Dallas and San Francisco. For international travel, London, Cancun, Paris, San Jose Cabo, Rome and Tokyo were the top destinations. For domestic travel, the average length of trip was 7.6 days; for international, it was 12.6 days.
Looking forward, flight volume in August is up: Domestic travel is pacing to grow 75 percent over 2022, while international flights will increase 78 percent. Hotel stays (47 percent) and vacation rentals (34 percent) are both up versus August 2022 numbers, as well.
Trip length in August will also increase from July: Those staying in the States plan to travel for 8.2 days, while international travelers will spend an average of 13.1 days abroad.
As for shoulder season, expect more crowds than usual. In September, flight volumes will double: International flights will be up 100 percent from 2022, while domestic flights will follow close behind with an increase of 98 percent. Rental car and accommodation bookings will soar, as well. Car rentals will be up 56 percent compared to last year, while hotel stays will increase 48 percent and vacation rental reservations will be up 35 percent.
Friday, September 1—the start to Labor Day Weekend—will be the busiest day for travel across the board. The first of the month will see the highest volume of international and domestic flights, rental car pick-ups, and check-ins to hotels and vacation rentals. Trip length will increase again with an average of 8.7 days of travel for those flying domestically and 13.3 days for those going internationally.
As for flight destinations, New York, Las Vegas, London and Paris are among the most popular.
Source: TripIt from Concur
Related Stories
The Worst Airports, Airlines for Mishandled Baggage
Stats: Europe’s Tourism Rebound Continues into 2023
Survey: Summer 2023 Trip Length and Spending on the Rise
Stats: A New Wave of Confident Travelers Emerges Post-Pandemic