It looks like Americans are again comfortable hitting the road. According to July research from TripIt from Concur, 82 percent of Americans traveled this summer, while 98 percent plan to do so in the year ahead (inclusive of those who’ve already traveled).
Of those who have traveled in the past three months, 52 percent have taken a domestic flight, 73 percent have taken a road trip with a personal car, 39 percent took a road trip with a rental car, and 13 percent have flown on an international flight. Younger generations also appear more willing to travel, as Millennials and Gen Xers consistently returned to travel across the previous four categories at a faster rate than Baby Boomers.
For Americans who are planning to travel in the next year, 87 percent said they would take a vacation—up 10 percent from TripIt’s May survey. A business trip (52 percent), visiting family/friends (42 percent) were other top selections.
Digging into generational differences, Gen Xers are leading the way with vacation planning—as 89 percent plan to take a vacation this year. Meanwhile, Millennials are most likely to plan a trip involving remote work, with 24 percent saying they’d take a workcation in the next year. Consistent with TripIt’s data released in May, 32 percent of travelers plan to take a trip they had to reschedule due to COVID-19. As for cruises, Boomers dominate with 16 percent planning to go on rescheduled cruises, with just 10 percent of Gen Xers and 2 percent of Millennials doing so.
When looking at those travelers planning solo trips, there are minor differences between generations and genders: Gen Xers (24 percent) are slightly more likely than millennials (21 percent) and boomers (20 percent) to take a trip by themselves in the next year. In addition, men (22 percent) are slightly more likely than women (20 percent) to plan a solo trip in the next year. TripIt also noted the differences in how women and men intend to travel: Women are more likely to fly for a solo trip (69 percent of women versus 57 percent of men), while men are more likely to take a road trip with a personal car (63 percent of men vs 43 percent of women).
As for flying, those comfortable flying in current conditions increased nearly 79 percent since May, and while remaining a top need, airline safety measures’ importance dropped 29 percent. Just under half of travelers (43 percent) say they would fly internationally by September; however, it isn’t until spring 2022 that we see “widespread” (75 percent) international traveler readiness. Concerns include overcrowding and long lines (39 percent), unruly passengers (29 percent) and cost (24 percent).
According to TripIt, back in March, 81 percent of travelers said the prospect of a digital health passport appealed to them and that they’d be willing to use one if it meant they could travel freely. When asked again this time around, a similar 84 percent of travelers said they would use one, regardless of whether they loved the idea (49 percent), liked the idea (18 percent) or disliked the idea (16 percent). Just 16 percent of respondents said they hated the idea of a digital health passport and would not use one.
TripIt surveyed more than 1,500 U.S.-based users in July for this study.
Source: TripIt
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