Summer Travel Heats Up as Vacationers Plan to Spend More in 2024

Summer Travel Heats Up as Vacationers Plan to Spend More in 2024

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up as Americans look forward to summer travel.

A new survey of U.S. adults from Hertz shows 52% of American travelers will take more trips this summer compared to last summer. The most popular destinations were the beach (40%), urban centers (34%) and small towns (30%). Of those planning summer trips, 54% will spend more in 2024 than they did for summer 2023 travel.[1]

Allianz’s latest Vacation Confidence Index reports that American travelers are expected to collectively spend more than $220 billion on summer travel this year. Notably, that figure is 118% higher than summer spending in 2019. On average, American households will spend approximately $2,843 on summer vacations.[2]

Causeway Solutions conducts a monthly survey of more than 800 U.S. adults 18+.

In May 2024, we asked about vacation plans over the next 3 months:*

• 35% said they plan to take a day trip.
• 40% said they plan to take a weekend getaway
• 43% a multi-day vacation
• 12% plan to take a long distance/international vacation
• 23% are not planning any vacations

The number of days and distances for trips varied according to travelers’ ages:*

• Day trips are most popular for Adults 25-34
• Weekend getaways are preferred by Adults 35-44 (49%), Adults 25-34 (47%) and Adults 18-24 (46%)
• Multi-day trips were the favorite for Adults 35-44
• Long distance/international vacations appealed the most to Adults 45-54

Causeway Solutions: May 2024

Higher Income Travelers

Vacations are expensive so it is no surprise that those with household incomes of $100K+ are more likely to travel. Over half of $100K+ travelers are taking both weekend and multi-day trips over the next 90 days. Almost twice as many high-income vacationers are planning long distance/international travel (19%) compared to total adults (12%).

Long Distance Traveler Profile

Causeway Solutions: May 2024

Long Distance Travelers are feeling better about the economy than the rest of the country. When asked to rate the economy on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best, 27% of the Long-Distance Travelers gave a rating of 4/5 compared to only 18% of the average adults.

Another intriguing pattern we observed pertains to the Weekend Travelers' keenness on engaging with advertisements. Inquiries regarding their attentiveness to ads across various platforms, such as social media, web browsers and streaming radio, revealed a higher propensity to pay attention. This group also exhibits a significant interest in the Olympics with nearly 75% planning to tune in this summer.

Weekend Travelers’ Attention to Advertising

Summer travelers have discretionary income and are ready to splurge during their vacations. Please reach out for support with marketing to these active consumers at [email protected].

*About Causeway Solutions’ Monthly Surveys

Causeway Solutions has conducted a monthly online survey of U.S. Adults 18+ for more than 3 years. The data offers snapshots into consumer attitudes and behaviors, which support industry trends. Insights include optimism about the economy, plan to purchase and media usage. Causeway Solutions offers key industry profiles, including healthcare, entertainment, sports, travel, restaurants and more. The most recent survey was conducted September 9-13, 2023, with 838 Adults 18+ completing the online questionnaire.

Thérèse Mulvey is Vice President of Strategy & Insight at Causeway Solutions, a leading provider of Acquisition Analytics and innovative data services. Thérèse has worked in media, including television, newspaper, direct mail and digital, where she successfully translated consumer data into insights that address key business issues. She has over two decades of success driving profit, growth and market expansion through the strategic optimization of marketing analytics, research and business development. Causeway Solutions empowers clients to make smart, timely, data-driven decisions through real-time consumer insights to better reach target audiences. Learn more at CausewaySolutions.com.

Source:
[1-2]: “These Are the Top Summer Travel Trends for 2024,” TravelAge West

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