travel age stats

• 88 Must-Know Travel Statistics by Age Group for 2024

After years of travel restrictions, the hospitality and travel industry bounced back thanks to record-breaking travel spending . Of course, not all travelers are interested in the same kind of experience. Road trips , international travel, and weekend getaways appeal to different people. However, one factor can dramatically change travel preferences: age. 

Whether you want to keep up with trends or find inspiration for your next trip, we’ve compiled a list of travel statistics by age group to show you how different generations travel solo and together. We’ll also share statistics about destinations, methods, reasons for travel, and accommodation preferences.

Travel Statistics by Age Group

While baby boomers prefer to use all of their vacation days, millennials aren’t afraid to dip into debt to plan their dream trip. Read on to learn how age impacts travel in today’s post-pandemic landscape.

Baby Boomer Travel Statistics

Thanks to their established careers, baby boomers have the resources to travel longer and more often. Here are the specifics: 

• Baby boomers’ vacations typically last a week or more, the longest of any generation ( Expedia ). 
• Baby boomers take the most time to plan their trips, often booking months in advance ( Expedia ).
• Only 66% of baby boomers believe it’s important to book your entire trip online, less than any other generation ( Hilton ).
• Baby boomers expected to take an average of four to five trips in 2023 ( AARP ).
• 54% of baby boomers let environmental changes factor into travel planning, less than any other generation ( Hilton ).
• 25% of baby boomers look for hotels advertising quality mattresses for a good night’s sleep ( Hilton ).
• 86% of baby boomers seek out local and regional cuisine when traveling ( Hilton ).
• Baby boomers are more than twice as likely as other generations to prioritize the human factor in hospitality over technology services ( Hilton ).
• 62% of baby boomers prioritize using all of their vacation days each year ( AARP ).
•  59% of baby boomers refuse to bring work with them on trips ( AARP ).

Gen X Travel Statistics

Gen X travelers often balance careers and family obligations with their travel plans. With that in mind, here are some statistics on Gen X travel:

• Gen X plans to travel the least, with only 76% of Gen Xers planning to increase or maintain their travel levels from previous years. By comparison this number jumps to 77% for baby boomers, 79% for Gen Z, and 84% for Millennials  ( Avail ).
• 68% of Gen Xers list rest as their main reason to travel, more than any other generation ( Hilton ).
• 45% of Gen X travelers prioritize restaurants and culinary experiences when traveling ( Hilton ).
• Gen X takes an average of 17.9 days off a year and dedicates 8.2 of those to travel ( U.S. Travel Association ).
• 79% of Gen X expect their personal devices to work when traveling ( Hilton ).
• 84% of Gen X say they want to experience something new when traveling ( Hilton ).
• 78% of Gen X say they want to feel pampered and taken care of while traveling ( Hilton ).

Millennial Travel Statistics

Here are some of the top millennial travel and vacationing statistics:

• 65% of millennials save money specifically for travel ( Expedia ).
• 42% of millennials have traveled alone, more than any other generation ( Expedia ).
• 27% of millennials have posted about their trip plans on social media to source opinions before booking ( Expedia ).
• Two-thirds of millennials turn to social media for food recommendations when traveling ( American Express ).
• 22% of millennials pack a favorite pillow for more comfort when traveling ( Hilton ).
• 37% of millennials want a wellness-focused travel experience ( Hilton ).
• While 60% of millennials want to rest and recharge when traveling, 52% still want an element of exploration and adventure ( Hilton ).
• Millennials seek out diverse travel experiences—33% prioritize cultural events, 30% want live music experiences, and 26% want to attend sporting events ( Hilton ).
• 84% of millennials want to increase or maintain their travel levels from previous years, more than any other generation ( Avail ).
• 77% of millennials try to use all of their vacation time each year ( AARP ). 
• 78% of millennials bring their work with them on trips  ( AARP ).
• Millennials are the most willing generation to take on debt for travel ( Travel Pulse ).
• 23% of millennials report meeting fellow travelers as a main reason to take trips ( WYSE Travel Confederation ).
• 45% of millennials take trips to learn more about themselves ( WYSE Travel Confederation ).

Gen Z Travel Statistics

While many Gen Zers haven’t reached adulthood, trends have begun around the ways they travel. 

• 74% of Gen Z travelers like to bundle their entire trip’s reservations and services with their hotel bookings entirely online ( Hilton ).
• 75% of Gen Z says QR codes improved their dining experiences when traveling ( Hilton ).
• 11% percent of Gen Z have delayed a breakup with a significant other to go on a planned trip ( Expedia ).
• 81% of Gen Z travelers feel obligated to text significant others or their families before a flight takeoff and after landing ( Expedia ).
• 36% of Gen Z base their travel destinations on places they saw on social media ( Expedia ).
• 71% of Gen Z report they would get a part-time job to save money needed for a trip ( Expedia ).
• Gen Z is the most intentional about winding down for a good night’s sleep when traveling, with 25% avoiding alcohol before bed and 21% regulating their workout routine ( Hilton ).

Reasons for Travel Statistics

Different generations travel for different reasons. Here are a few statistics showing how:

• Gen Z travelers prefer travel experiences involving exploration, adventure, and trying new activities ( Expedia ).
• Baby boomers prioritize sightseeing, touring, and traditional travel experiences ( Expedia ).
• Millennials and Gen X travelers are most likely to use travel as a way to relax ( Expedia ).
• 74% of travelers fulfilled travel expectations over low costs ( American Express ).
• 78% of travelers see leisure travel as a budgeting priority ( American Express ).
• 48% of travelers like destinations they can show on social media ( American Express ).
• 64% of travelers have been inspired to try a destination after seeing it on a TV show, movie, or news segment ( American Express ).
• 57% of travelers take vacations to prioritize wellness ( American Express ).

Destination Travel Statistics

Different generations prioritize different destinations. Review these area tourism statistics to understand how:

• In the next year, 69% of American travelers want to vacation in the United States. By contrast, 12% prefer international trips ( Avail ).
• New York City remains the most popular domestic destination, followed by Orlando and Las Vegas ( Hopper ).

• Europe is the highest-demand international travel destination for Americans, followed by Asia ( Hopper ).
• Warm weather destinations, including Mexico, the Antilles, and various Central American countries, create 20% of international search demand in the U.S. ( Hopper ). 
• 19% of Americans would consider domestic and international travel in the next year ( Avail ).
• 59% of Americans plan to stay in a hotel during their upcoming trip ( Avail ).
• 89% of travelers want to visit destinations they’ve never been to before ( American Express ).

Spending and Cost of Travel Statistics

Your age and income play a key role in travel spending. Discover how: 

• 57% of Americans currently save money for travel ( Expedia ).
• Low-income travelers prioritize quality time with friends and family on trips,  and middle-income travelers prioritize sightseeing and tourism. The highest earners see travel as a chance to relax ( Expedia ).

• 49% of millennials and Gen Zers would sell clothes or furniture to afford a trip ( Expedia ). 
• Cost plays the largest role in shaping travel decisions, with 61% reporting it has the greatest impact on their plans ( Avail ). 
• 84% of Americans paid more for travel in 2023 than 2022. This increase stems from rising costs and more frequent travel ( Hopper ).
• Travelers who fly midweek save an average of $90 on domestic flights and over $140 on international trips ( Hopper ).

Method of Travel Statistics

Here are a few statistics on how different age groups prefer to travel:

• Personal vehicles, flights, and rental cars top the list of preferred methods for reaching a destination ( Avail ).
• Most travelers prefer driving or walking when traveling around their destination ( Avail ).
• Younger travelers show the most interest in using car or bus sharing to reach their destination, especially when it cuts down on costs ( Avail ).
• Air travel demand grew 12% in summer 2023 compared to summer 2022 ( U.S. Travel Association ).
• In 2023, the number of passengers going through Port Everglades, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, was 77% higher compared to 2022 ( NPR ).

Booking and Accommodation Travel Statistics

Where and when you book accommodations correlates to age in a few key ways:

• 90% of travelers plan to book a vacation in the next 12 months, with the majority claiming COVID-19 has not impacted their sense of safety enough to change travel plans ( Avail ).
• 33% of Gen Z travelers will pass on a hotel because it doesn’t offer free internet access ( Expedia ).
• Millennials and Gen Zers prefer to book vacations over long weekends that last  three to five days ( Expedia ).
• Younger generations usually book accommodations less than 30 days in advance ( Expedia ).
• Older travelers prefer to book accommodations about two months before their trip ( Avail ).

• 80% of Americans prefer to book all their accommodations, rentals, flights, and reservations on one website. That number jumps up to 87% for Gen Z ( Expedia ).
• Half of Gen Z and 48% of millennials prefer to book transportation and accommodations by visiting an online travel agency ( Expedia ).
• Personal finances and travel expenses play the largest role in booking and accommodation decisions. However, Gen Z is the only group to prioritize safety and security over cost when booking accommodations ( Avail ).
• Hotels are the most common accommodation travelers book when planning trips. Staying with friends and family comes second ( Avail ).
• 38% of travelers prioritize booking with extra deals or free upgrades to their accommodations ( Expedia ).
• 35% of travelers made travel plans where they stayed in one- to three-star hotels in 2023 ( Expedia ).

Group Travel Statistics

Some new trends in group travel have emerged in the past few years. To highlight these changes, consider the data on travel with family, friends, and coworkers.

Family Travel Statistics

When looking at the ways families travel together, keep these statistics in mind:

• Gen Z is the most likely generation in adulthood to travel with their parents, with 54% reporting they usually or always travel with family ( Expedia ).
• 58% of Gen Z travelers report their parents paid for trip expenses when they traveled together in the past year ( Expedia ).
• 24% of millennials report their parents pay for travel costs when they vacation together ( Expedia ).
• Family-friendly travel options are a high priority for 91% of millennial parents ( Hilton ).

Work Travel Statistics

Whether it’s for business or business and leisure, here are a few statistics on work travel:

• 52% of remote workers report their work flexibility affects how they plan business and personal trips ( Hopper ).
• 1 in 3 Hopper users have traveled or expect to travel for work in the next year ( Hopper ).
• 46% of full-time or self-employed workers travel for business and leisure, or “bleisure.” ( Hilton ).
• Over 1 in 3 millennials and gen Z workers plan to extend work vacations for more leisure time before or after business obligations ( Hilton ).

Friend Group Travel Statistics

Here are a few data points about how friends travel together:

• Over half of travelers booking rentals with their friends report amenities are one of the most important criteria ( Expedia ).
• 38% of travelers cook to cut down on vacation costs ( Expedia ).
• 41% of friends traveling together cook shared meals to bond as a group ( Expedia ).
• 46% of friend groups traveling together make dining reservations before booking their trip ( American Express ).
• 45% of travelers use travel as a means to reconnect with friends ( Hilton ).

How Age Affects Travel

While age doesn’t have a one-to-one effect on how people travel, these statistics show a few key correlations. Here are some of the most significant points:

• Duration of trips: Baby boomers and Gen X have more to spend on traveling, largely because they’re more established in their careers. As a result, older generations tend to take longer trips than millennials or Gen Z. 
• Working while traveling: millennials are more likely to work while traveling than Gen X or baby boomers. Because their trips are shorter and more spontaneous, this allows them to take a trip without taking too much PTO.
• Cost of trips: There’s a direct correlation between age and the amount travelers are willing to spend for their trips. While millennials and Gen Z are happy to save or take on a part-time job, baby boomers still spend the most on their vacations.
• Travel destinations: Because far-away destinations cost more to reach, older generations travel abroad more often. That said, domestic travel is popular among all generations. 
• Solo and group travel: Younger generations have a greater interest in traveling alone. They are also interested in adventurous experiences that don’t suit family trips and that they can book at the last minute. As a result, solo travel is on the rise.

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Even after years of turbulence, every generation still wants the chance to travel by air, car, or bus . While each generation travels differently, reviewing these travel statistics by age group reveals a few common threads. Whether you’re trying to go abroad or have a weekend getaway, the chance to travel is well worth the investment. 

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Senior Travel Statistics in 2024

Over the last year, interest in travel has decreased among all age groups, but the 50+ age group has been particularly affected. According to a study conducted by the AARP, 80 percent of seniors wanted to travel abroad in 2022, but only 40 percent expressed the same interest in 2023.

The main reason cited is the cost of travel due to inflation and other factors. While some studies predict a surge back to pre-pandemic levels, others predict the senior population settling into a low point for travel rates in 2023 and beyond.

Senior Travel and Tourism Statistics

The big picture.

• Adults aged 60 and above accounted for nearly 37 percent of travelers in 2023, up from 16.45 percent in 2020 – 2021, but not back to pre-pandemic levels (46.3 percent).
• In 2023, 62 percent of adults aged 50 and over have taken or plan to take a leisure trip .
• 1 in 5 seniors reports feeling hesitant about making travel plans in 2023 due to COVID-19.
• Nearly half of seniors (48 percent) report a desire to return to normal leisure travel in 2024, compared to just 8 percent in 2023.
• 52 percent of seniors aged 50+ rank travel and vacation as their number one priority for discretionary income.
• Seniors currently average 27 travel days per year , compared to 35 for millennials.
• The average age of black and Asian travelers is 54, compared to 43 – 46 for Hispanic individuals and 51 – 55 for white individuals.

Preferences

• 61 percent of seniors report that they’ll only travel domestically in 2023, up from 51 percent the year before.
• Interest in international cruises among seniors has dropped 9 percent in the last year, falling from 27 percent to 18 percent.
• 89 percent of those who still cruise report taking ocean cruises due to the value and travel schedule.
• The three most popular international travel destinations for American seniors are Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
• 67 percent of baby boomers say they travel to visit family, compared to 51 – 56 percent for younger generations.
• Adults over the age of 65 are half as likely to take vacations for personal trips such as shopping compared to younger generations, though they are nearly equally likely to take trips for holidays or leisure.
• Seniors plan to take an average of 3.7 trips in 2023.
• 23 percent of seniors aged 50 and above report changing their trips to avoid crowded destinations (26 percent for seniors 70 and over).
• In 2023, seniors reported budgeting about 80 percent of the money they spent on travel the year before.
• Around one third of seniors are actively devoting savings to future vacations, compared to 42 percent in 2022.
• 58 percent of nontravelers cite finances as the number one reason they won’t travel this year.
• 63 percent of adults aged 50 and over report wanting to take a bucket list trip, 24 percent more than before the pandemic.
• When asked why they hadn’t taken the trip, the same group of adults aged 50 years and over most commonly cited rising travel costs (21 percent), personal health problems (16 percent), and less available income (12 percent).
• Seniors aged 70 and over report intending to spend 40 percent less on travel in 2023 compared to 2022.
• Over half of the seniors who canceled trips in 2023 report devoting the unused funds to reducing debt and paying household expenses.

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Ryan has years of experience researching and testing products that help people successfully age in place. After years of working for various publications such as Boston Magazine and The Believer, he has found his home at The Senior List, writing about all things related to caregiving and senior healthcare.

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30+ Gen Z travel statistics and trends [2024 update]

What is generation z.

• Return and add more value to destinations over time
• Discover new travel destinations
• Incorporate technology such as apps into their trips
• Gain personal cultural benefits and contribute to the local communities that they visit

Gen Z: the next generation of travelers

• Gen Z are frequent travelers, making an average of three leisure trips every year.
• 60% of Gen Zers planned to travel by air in 2023.
• 42% of Gen Zers travel to spend time with family or friends. 
• 49% of Gen Zers plan getaways to relax. 
• Sightseeing is the top reason to travel for 70% of Gen Zers, while experiencing a new local culture is important for 68%. 
• 53% of Gen Z travelers use social media platforms for leisure travel recommendations.
• 70% of Gen Zers have been motivated to visit a destination after seeing it featured in a TV show, news source, or movie.
• 73% of Gen Zers are “vacation deprived”, which means they work too much and have too little time off.
• Culinary experiences are important to Gen Z, with 47% saying they have planned an entire trip around visiting a specific restaurant.
• 29% of Gen Zers were inspired to travel to a destination in 2023 by TikTok. 
• 70% of Gen Z travelers actively look for travel experiences off the beaten path that their family and friends have not heard of.
• 24% of Gen Z travelers were looking to spend less on their trips in 2023 than in 2022, citing economic concerns.
• In 2023, 43% of Gen Z vacationers wanted a beachside trip, while 32% were inclined towards a staycation.
• Only 8% of Gen Z travelers are willing to go into debt when making plans for leisure travel.
• 35% of Gen Zers finalize their travel plans less than one month before departure.
• Almost half of Gen Zers expect their parents to financially contribute to their travel costs. 
• When traveling to a foreign destination, clubs and parties are the main attraction for only 21% of Gen Zers. 
• Gen Z travelers have a preference for using Online Travel Agents (OTAs) to make travel plans. 

Accommodation: Gen Z prioritizes safety over cost

• Gen Z is more likely to stay in bed and breakfasts or vacation rentals than Gen X and Baby Boomers. 
• When it comes to booking accommodation, factors such as safety and security are more important than cost to Gen Zers. 
• Similarly, Gen Zers are more concerned with accommodation providers that offer unique experiences and have positive reviews over quality.

Gen Z travel in a post-pandemic world

• 79% of Gen Zers planned to travel more—or the same amount—in 2023.
• 30% of Gen Zers were more excited about travel in 2023 than they were before the pandemic.
• 87% of Gen Z travelers are more willing to pay extra for travel protections (such as travel insurance or refundable booking options) compared to other generations.

A new generation of values-based travel behavior

• Over half of Gen Z travelers would pay more for a travel company with an environmentally friendly ethos and practices. 
• 6 out of 10 Gen Z travelers look for more environmentally friendly transportation once they arrive at their destination. 
• 26% of Gen Zers want to connect with their cultural heritage when they travel. 
• Sustainability is key, with over half of Gen Zers (56%) preferring to stay in green or eco-friendly accommodations. 

Gen Z vs Millennials: Key differences and similarities

• With self-care in mind, 61% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers are prioritizing making travel plans that focus on personal wellness that provide well-being experiences.
• Millennials are more likely to book accommodation at a resort.
• Millennial and Gen Z employees are more likely to travel for work over the next year. 
• A higher percentage of Millennials blend work trips with personal leisure plans Gen Z. 
• 41% of Millennials prioritize cost when making travel plans.

Understanding Gen Z is key for the future of travel

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INTERACTIVE TRAVEL DATA May 09, 2024

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U.S. Travel & Tourism Statistics 2020-2021

The ultimate fact guide to america's tourism industry including outbound, inbound, domestic & business travel figures..

The American tourism industry is thriving, International and domestic travel is currently contribution over $1.1 trillion to the United States GDP every year. When looking at the annual travel split of domestic and international travel, Americans domestically traveling within the country last year made up the lion's share, totaling 2.29 Billion, a 2% increase from the previous year. Following past US tourism trends, the volume of Americans outbound traveling internationally was of course much less, amounting to 79.6 Million, which was a 3.5% increase from the previous year.

Leisure based travel accounts for 73.8% of all tourism in America, leaving 26.2% for business and other reasons. Overall the tourism expenditure accounts for $1,089 Billion a year, and the industry provides a direct source of employment for 5.29 million jobs.

RELATED: 2022 Tourism Trends & Outlook

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TOP U.S. TOURISM STATISTICS:

US Citizen domestic tourism:   Americans take 2.29 Billion domestic trips each year.

US Citizen outbound tourism:   Americans take 93.0 Million international outbound trips each year.

International Inbound Tourism:   Annually, there are currently 79.6 Million international visitors to the US.

$1,089 Billion:   Yearly American tourism expenditure ($932.7b domestic / $156.3b international)

Expenditure sources:   $267.7B on food services, $232.2B on lodging, $200.4B on public transport, $166.5B on auto transportation, $112.6B on recreation, $109.6B on retail.

15.7 Million   American jobs were supported by travel in 2018.

By 2028,   yearly U.S. tourism is estimated to hit the $2.4 trillion mark.

Days/yr. traveled by age group: Gen Z   (29 days) , Millennials   (35 days) , Gen X   (26 days)   and Baby Boomers   (27 days).

Top 5 inbound countries:   Mexico (19.1m), Canada (12.3m), UK (4.9), Japan (3.4), China (2.9)

Top 5 outbound by continent:   Europe (17.7m), Caribbean (8.7m), Asia (6.2m), South America (2.1m), Central America (3.2m)

Top US cities visited:   New York (9.8m), Miami (5.38m), LA (4.98m), Orlando (4.47m), San Francisco (3.57m), Vegas (3.33m)

Business vs. leisure:   U.S. travelers took 466.2 million domestic trips for business (26.2%), and 1,779.7 million for leisure (73.8%)

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Quick links: navigate our statistic topics, how many americans travel out of their country a year, how much did americans and tourists spend on travel last year, how much is the travel industry worth to america, which american age groups travel the most, why do americans travel, what are the popular trending activities in america, how do americans book their travel.

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US INBOUND & OUTBOUND TOURISM STATISTICS

US domestic travel increased by +2%  YTD in 2019 with Americans taking 2.29 Billion domestic trips.

Domestic leisure travel increased 1.9%   in 2019 to 1.9 billion.

80% of all US domestic trips  were for leisure travel in 2019.

Domestic business travel in 2019   accounted for 464 million trips.

US Citizen outbound tourism:   Americans take 93.0 Million international outbound trips each year. (+6.3% YTD Change)

International Inbound Tourism:   Annually, there are currently 79.6 Million international visitors to the US. (+3.5% YTD Change)

Top 5 inbound countries:   Mexico (19.1m), Canada (12.3m), UK (4.9), Japan (3.4), China (2.9).

Top 5 outbound by continent:   Europe (17.7m), Caribbean (8.7m), Asia (6.2m), South America (2.1m), Central America (3.2m).

Top US cities visited:   New York (9.8m), Miami (5.38m), LA (4.98m), Orlando (4.47m), San Francisco (3.57m), Vegas (3.33m).

Each year,   35% of American families   plan vacations 50 miles or more from home.

In a Travel Leaders Group survey,   24%   of Americans stated they plan to travel to Europe.

22%   of American vacations are via road trips.

USA’s top 5 road trip routes:   #1 Las Vegas – National Parks, #2 Northern California - Southern Oregon Coast, #3 Northern New England, #4 Blue Ridge Parkway #5 Black Hills.

The lion’s share of the United States tourism is from its own citizen’s domestic travel, with over 2.29 billion Americans taking trips within the country. This saw a +2% year to date increase, which is enormous considering that domestic travel spend was worth $932.7 Billion.

As you can see from the US outbound travel statistics above, the number of Americans traveling out of the country is remarkably low compared to domestic travel. According to Trade.gov, outbound tourism hit 93 Million last year and saw a sizable +6.3% year to date increase, showing more Americans are willing to take an outbound trip and travel out the country.

The outbound travel expenditure of these 93 million people was worth $156.3 Billion to America’s tourism industry, so 6.3% is a very significant outbound tourism statistic! The hottest US outbound destinations were Europe, Caribbean, Asia, South America, and Central America.

The US inbound tourism statistics also paint a fascinating picture of America’s continued tourism industry growth, with visitors flocking from Mexico, Canada, UK, Japan, and China. International visitors totaled 79.6 Million with a 3.5% year to date increase, with the top US vacation destinations being cities such as New York, Miami, LA, Orlando, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

Sources :   Statista ,   AAA ,   TravelLeadersGroup ,   TravelAgentCentral ,   MMGY

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AMERICAS TOURISM INDUSTRY SPEND STATISTICS

American’s spent around   $930 billion USD   on domestic travel in 2018.

In 2017 the amount spent on summer vacations was around   $101.1 billion USD , up from $89.9 billion in 2016.

$1.1 Trillion   / $1,089 Billion: Yearly U.S. travel and tourism expenditure ($932.7b domestic / $156.3b international).

U.S. leisure spend totalled   $761.7 billion   in 2018 from domestic and international travellers.

U.S. business sped totalled   $327 billion   in 2018, with $136 Billion from travellers attending conventions or meetings.

Expenditure Sources:   $267.7B on food services, $232.2B on lodging, $200.4B on public transport, $166.5B on auto transportation, $112.6B on recreation, $109.6B on retail.

Behind nightlife/dining,   travel was voted   America’s most popular choice for spending disposable income at   36%.

$101.1 Billion   is spent every year in America on summer vacations alone.

The average American spends   $6,080 on international trips.

Inbound overseas tourists stay an average of 18 nights and   spend $4,200   while in America.

Overseas travellers account for   84%   of international tourist spend, despite being half of all international arrivals.

Canadian tourists are the biggest spenders with   £22.2 billion   in the U.S. every year.

New York brings in  $16.1 Billion   a year from international visitors.

If you’re wondering how much Americans spend on travel each year, it was huge; International and domestic travelers spent $1.1 Trillion US dollars ($1,089 Billion). Americans spending through domestic travel increased by a massive +5.8% year to date, whereas international tourism spends only saw a 0.3% bump from the previous year. To break this down, this sort of spending would support 8.9M jobs, which in turn would generate $171 Billion in tax and $268 Billion in payroll.

Out of the $1.1 Trillion spending, leisure travelers from both international and domestic spent $762 Billion in 2018, which was a +6.1% increase from the previous year. When looking at business travel spend, it had risen +2.4% to $327 Billion, with 41.5% coming from

What are American tourists spending this $1.1 Trillion on? According to the latest US travel spending statistics, food services such as restaurants, bars, and grocery stores were the most popular spending category at 26.7%. This was followed by 23.1% on lodging, 20.0% on public transport, 16.6% on auto transportation, 11.2% on recreation, and 10.9% on retail.

Furthermore, this $1.1 Trillion spending isn’t the only financial impact of the tourists. When you look at the inputs used to supply or produce the goods travelers desire, and take into account the spend of the employees of travel businesses – there is a considerable multiplier of the financial impact to the US economy, estimated to be a total of $2.5 Trillion.

Sources :  US Travel ,  US Travel 2 ,  Phocuswright ,  TravelAgenctCentral ,  Squaremouth ,  Statista

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US TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY JOB STATISTICS  

The travel industry accounts for   7.1%   of America’s private employment.

15.7 Million American jobs   were supported by travel in 2018.

8.92 Million   American travel-related jobs were supported by tourism in 2018 (7.73M domestic / 1.19M international)

$1 Million   in travel revenue directly produces eight jobs with the industry.

1 in 10 jobs   in the U.S. depend on the travel industry (Excluding farming).

$267.9 Billion   in payroll is generated yearly by U.S. travel and tourism ($234.6 Billion domestic / $33.3 Billion international).

$170.9 Billion   in tax revenue is generated yearly by U.S. travel and tourism ($147.3 Billion domestic / $23.6 Billion international).

A massive   $117.4 billion   of the $170.9b in tax revenue was spent on leisure travel, $53.5b on business.

International and domestic business travel generated   $327.3 billion   in 2018 through direct spending.

In 2018, U.S. residents recorded   463.6M   trips for business (38% being events and meetings).

The tourism industry is vital to the US economy, so much so that it accounts for 7.1% of the countries private employment. Overall, 15.7 Million American jobs were supported by the tourism industry last year, making one in eight non-farm jobs dependent on it in some way, direct and indirectly. The trend is on the up, the 15.7 Million American jobs in the travel industry had a +1.3% increase from the previous year.

Jobs, where workers are supplying goods or services directly to visitors, would be classed as ‘direct’ - this supported 8.9 million U.S. travel-specific jobs. The remaining 6.8 Million jobs were classed as indirect, these would include areas whereby workers created goods or services which helped produce the goods or services (sold or used by the 8.9M direct jobs).

The travel industry is known for being extremely labor intensive, its upwards trends have the power to develop new career opportunities much fast than any other niche. If you exclude the farming industry, one in ten jobs would be dependent on the travel industry – as an example, one in five non-farming industry jobs would be created from $1 million sales, but the same value in the travel industry would create one in eight.

Sources :  US Travel 1 ,  US Travel 2

US TRAVEL STATISTICS BY DEMOGRAPHIC

42%   of Americans own a passport, up from 27% 10 years ago.

Days a year traveling by age: Millennials ( 35 days ), Gen Z ( 29 days ), Baby Boomers ( 27 days ), and Gen X ( 26 days ).

Millennials :   62%   of parents travel with kids under five.

Millennials :   58%   prefer traveling with friends, 49% book last-minute vacations.

Millennials :   58%   want to solo travel,   26%   already have.

Solo Travel Women:   Take 3 more trips a year and are the most likely to travel alone.

Solo Travel: 43%   take over three trips a year.

Solo Travel: 50%   have a college or university diploma/degree.

Family: 4 out of 10   plan a trip with a family each year.

Family: 80%   take summertime trips to travel with family.

Family: 42%   opt for spring break vacations.

Baby Boomers:   Aim to take 4+ leisure vacations a year.

Baby Boomers: 30%   opt for a cruise as their vacation choice.

When analyzing the latest US outbound travel statistics by age, it was clear that millennials are the group willing to travel for the most extended period at 35 days a year, while generation X vacationed an average of 26 days.

Millennial Americans that are without children are now less of the typical ‘tourist’ and more of the ‘experience’ generation. Most of their booking habits are focused on exploring cultures, booking retreats, or activities rather than visiting theme parks and tourist trap areas. Their freedom and spontaneity let almost half of them book last-minute vacations, with or without friends as, to them, solo travel means cultural growth and meeting new people.

These travel age statistics also show us that half of the solo travelers take up to 3 more trips a year, have a college or university degree, and American solo travel is more prominent in women. What percentage of Americans own a passport? The myth was only one in ten do which appears in many blogs across the web, but now the Census and State department confirm that over 42% of Americans own a passport.

One travel by age group statistic shows almost one in three baby boomers opt for a cruise as their vacation and aim to take at least 4 trips per year. When it comes to families, the majority go during summer break (80%), and only 4 in 10 plan trips with their family. However, millennial families are far more likely to travel with younger children, at 62%.

Sources : Expedia, Resonanceco,  InternetMarketingInc ,  PRNewswire ,  SoloTravelWorld ,  TravelAgentCentral ,  NYU 1 ,  NYU 2 ,  AARP ,  TripAdvisor

REASONS AMERICANS TRAVEL FACTS & STATISTICS

Business/Leisure: U.S. travellers took   466.2 million   domestic trips for business (26.2%), and   1,779.7 million   for leisure (73.8%).

Family:   95%   prioritized their family to be happy and entertained.

Family:   89%   prioritized vacation deals and value.

Family:   85%   needed planning around school holidays.

Family:   85%   wanted outdoor activities for their family.

Gen Z:   55%   travelled to increase their knowledge and experience.

Gen Z:   40%   travelled to avoid stress and relax.

Millennials:   43%   want to find themselves.

Millennials:   23%   want to meet new people.

57%   of U.S. travellers would choose a free heritage vacation over alcohol for a year.

56%   of global international travellers agree it taught them life skills.

51%   want to escape normal life and recharge mentally.

42%   take trips to visit friends and family.

35%   are travelling to experience local delicacies.

Top   bucket list vacations   are volunteering trips (39%), food travel adventure (38%), mystery journey (38%), ancestry/heritage trip (36%), and sabbatical (36%).

59%   of solo travellers stated the reason they went alone is to see the world without waiting for others.

Why do Americans travel? When looking at the data from several survey sources, it was clear that the gender and age of respondents had little impact on the three most important factors.

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The most important reasons why Americans travel were:

Being with friends and family

Fun experiences (did index higher in younger generations)

Relaxing and unwinding

In terms of gender-based travel reasons, men indexed higher than women overall for exploring the great outdoors or outdoor activities that fall into that category. Generation Z, Millennials, or general age groups from 18-35 had higher responses around wanting to travel for music events or festivals than people aged 35 and over.

The most important trend we’ve noticed from reviewing multiple studies around American’s desires for travel is that younger generations are factoring in ‘experience tourism,’ this was very common in their responses. Experience tourism can be defined by people wanting to book activities or retreats, meet new people and ‘find themselves’. This is popular among solo travellers, like a cultural trip to Thailand for a detox retreat rather than visiting a traditional tourist attraction like a theme park.

Americans over 35 were keen on finding a vacation where food and drink was priority. Visiting a town or city that had cultural foodie scenes or breweries were very trendy.

Sources : ShortTermRentalz,  Wysetc ,  Trekksoft ,  TravelNews ,  USTravel ,  Booking.com ,  HospitalityNet ,  SoloTravelWorld

US TOURISM & TRAVEL ACTIVITY STATISTICS

Top 5 culture activities:   #1) 65% visit history/art museums, #2) 59% visit aquariums, #3) 56% visit science museums, #4) 55% visit theme parks, #5) 55% visit zoos

73%   of families take their children to a theme park, 34% aim for a world famous one.

Overseas visitors top 5 activities:   #1) 54% Shopping, #2) 49% visit historical/cultural sights, #3) 49% Restaurants, #4) 46% Monuments / National Parks, #5) 46% Sightseeing tours.

Trending:   89% increase in sunset cruise excursions trips since last year.

Trending : 64% increase in snorkelling activities since last year.

Trending : 55% increase in sailing trips since last year.

Trending : 49% increase in kayaking and canoeing experiences since last year.

33%   of visitors will get spa or beauty treatments while on vacation.

15%   of travellers book mindfulness or meditation retreats.

One of the reasons Americans do not travel abroad that much is that there is so much to offer in their own country. There is a wealth of cultural activities such as art galleries, museums that index high on the popular activities list, not to mention the volume of theme parks, zoos, and aquariums across the country.

Families want to book all-inclusive trips where everything is taken care of, and they can focus on shopping or taking their children sightseeing. An overwhelming volume of people wanted to book a cruise in the future, which pairs well with relaxing is one of the most popular reasons for travel data above. Cruises were particularly popular in respondents over the age of 45, as well as self-guided tours, whereas group tours were one of the least popular options for booking.

Even though sporting related activities are trending up, going to a physical sporting event was one of the least popular reasons Americans book travel, with most wanting to support their team… from home.

Sources :  MMGY ,  NYU , StatisticBrain,  TripAdvisor ,  Booking.com

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US TOURISM BOOKING STATISTICS

65%   of hotels are booked on the smartphone the same day as it was researched.

79%   of Americans researching trips will eventually book on their smartphone via app or online.

90%   of U.S. travellers use apps at their destination to make life easy.

#1 factor   in Americans booking travel is price, but reviews and amenities are close runners up.

Americans aged 18-24 classed   reviews   as the second most crucial factor in the booking.

Overall, travel is most commonly booked between   1 to 3 months   in advance.

Men are more likely to last-minute book their trips   2 to 4 weeks   out.

Excluding price as the main factor for Americans booking travel, amenities, and reviews were the most popular choices. So when comparing hotels, resorts or cruises of similar price, these are the factors that will sway the booking decision.

Popular amenities people look for when booking hotels are free breakfasts, pool access, fitness centers, and on-site restaurants. Public transportation was the least influential factor for people considering amenities when booking; this increased with ride-share options.

Only 11% of travellers book trips 6 months out; the most standard booking periods were for trips within 1 to 3 months.

Demographics wise, travelers without children would be the target market for last-minute booking, the no strings attached lifestyle leaves their schedules open. This makes them the ideal target for using last-minute deals to sign them up to hotel or travel loyalty programs.

Sources : StatisticBrain,  ThinkWithGoogle ,  Trekksoft

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Global travel & tourism statistics 2023

By Kevin Tjoe — 12 Oct 2022

studies   travel statistics

Updated July 2023 – With the global travel restrictions finally beginning to ease, 2022 has been a reset for the travel and tourism industry. Countries around the world have started to welcome tourists back onto their shores and have started to embrace the return of tourism in their countries. However, with the positive outlook for 2023 and beyond, people’s perceptions and travel habits have seen a shift.

In today’s article, we’ve identified the 9 most prominent travel and tourism trends of 2023. These statistics will provide tour and activity operators with valuable insight to adapt their business to the latest trends.

The tourism and travel statistics below were gathered from a survey conducted by Rezdy.

2023 travel and tourism trends

1. generational trends.

There are always going to be differences in the interests and ways various age brackets travel. Find out what each generational demographic prioritizes during their most recent/upcoming trips.

• Travelers aged 18-34 are the most likely to go big on their next trip (80% compared to 56% of travelers over 50) ( Expedia )
• Generation X travel behavior shows that travelers over 40 are more likely to travel with a significant other or multiple generations of family. Travelers under 40 are more likely to travel with a group of friends or solo ( Evolve )
• About 40% of Millennials pick holiday destinations based on how Instagrammable the pics will be. ( passport-photo.online )
• 45% Gen Zers trust influencers’ travel recommendations. ( passport-photo.online )
• 6 in 10 Gen Zs (56%) and Millennials (61%) are “influenced by the quality of the culinary scene when choosing where to stay in a destination. ( Travelmarketreport )
• 38% of Millennials indicate celebrities and digital content creators have a great deal of influence on their travel decisions ( Travelmarketreport )
• 57% of Millennials “have made a travel purchase based at least partially on a post by a celebrity or influencer ( Travelmarketreport )

2. The top global destinations for every traveler

There are so many different types of travelers. Some prefer venturing to famous cities, while others may prefer natural destinations. Here are the top 3 destinations for every type of traveler.

Top 3 global trending destinations in 2022 :

• 1. Majorca, Balearic Islands
• 2. Cairo, Egypt
• 3. Rhodes, Dodecanese

( Tripadvisor )

The top 3 destinations for big-city lovers are : 

• 1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• 2. London, UK and
• 3. Rome, Italy.
• The top US destination for big city lovers is Las Vegas, Nevada

( TripAdvisor )

The top 3 destinations for food lovers :

• 1. Rome, Italy
• 2. London, United Kingdom
• 3. Paris, France

The top 3 destinations for sun seekers because of pristine beaches and clear waters are :

• 1. Cancun, Mexico
• 2. Bali, Indonesia
• 3. Crete, Greece
• The top US destination for sun seekers is Oahu, Hawaii

The top 3 destinations for skiers are :

• 1. Zermatt, Switzerland
• 2. Jackson, Wyoming
• 3. Banff, Alberta

The top 3 destinations for outdoor seekers :

• 1. Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
• 2. Jim Corbett National Park, India
• 3. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

3. Changes to the way people book

With the uncertainties that many travelers experienced during the pandemic, the way people use technology in the travel industry to research and book their experiences in 2022 has seen a slight change. Find out what they are.

• 59% of travelers are booking trips 2-5 months in advance, compared to less than 2 months in advance in 2020 and 2021 ( Evolve )
• 62% of travelers plan on taking 3 or more trips in 2023 ( Evolve )
• The percentage of shoppers that abandon their travel purchase is 85% for desktop users and 91% for those buying on a mobile device ( SalesCycle ).
• 72% of mobile bookings happen in the 48 hours following Google searches that include the words ‘tonight’ and ‘today’ ( StratosJets )
• In 2022, 64% of those booking online make online purchases on desktop and 44% make them on a mobile device. This shows a shift from 2021, when 59% of bookings were done on desktop and 41% on a mobile device ( SalesCycle )
• 70% of all travelers do their research on a mobile device ( StratosJets )
• Travelers visit 38 sites on average to finalize and book their travel plans ( Skift )
• 45% of travelers prefer booking a trip from start to finish from a single website that presents options for flights, accommodations, car rentals, and extras ( Travelport )
• Of travelers with 2022 travel plans, 47% say they won’t consider canceling until much closer to their trip dates and 32% plan to travel no matter what happens ( Evolve ) 
• 66% is the revenue share of online sales in the global travel and tourism market ( Statista )

4. What type of tours and activities are people booking?

After 2 years of not being able to travel and experience new adventures, travelers are sharing the types of activities they’re excited to try during their next trip. This has resulted in a noticeable shift in this year’s travel trends when compared to the travel statistics of 2021 .

• 11% of travelers are willing to try daring or high-adrenaline activities ( Expedia )
• 24% of travelers are looking for an unforgettable night out ( Expedia )
• 21% of travelers are most excited to try experiences they would usually never do, like: sleeping under the stars (19%), traveling alone (17%), skinny-dipping (11%), or having a vacation romance (10%) ( Expedia )
• 61% of travelers are most interested in outdoor activities (like hiking, biking, and kayaking) and wellness/relaxation experiences ( Evolve )
• About 20% of travelers worldwide plan to take more guided cultural activities than they did in 2019 ( Trip Advisor ). According to recent food tourism statistics , this fact also applies to cultural dining experiences.
• Water sports experiences have seen +311% growth between 2019 & 2022 ( Viator )
• Cruise, sailing & water tours experiences have seen +122% growth between 2019 & 2022 ( Viator )
• 73% of people looking forward to trips ‘outside their comfort zone’ that push them to their limits, there will be an influx of niche experiences ( Hospitaliy-on )
• 93% travellers are willing to cut back on some aspects to save money on a trip, – such as gifts or souvenirs (65%), eating out (41%), transportation (36%), or accommodations (33%) – the majority (71%) are not willing to cut back on their activities and experiences. ( PRnewswire )
• 95% prefer to spend at least part of their trip on new and unique experiences ( PRnewswire )
• 68% of respondents said they’re prepared to “go big” on their next trip. ( Invoca )
• Travelers who book tours and activities on their phones spend 50% more than those who book elsewhere ( Explodingtopics )

5. The latest industry trajectory

The industry is officially on track on the road to recovery. The President of Viator, Ben Drew recently shared at Arival 360 in Las Vegas, that all regions (excluding APAC) have reported that more operators are doing better than pre-pandemic levels. Discover the latest industry trajectory.

• 58% of tourism professionals predict a travel rebound in 2022 (mostly in the third quarter) and 42% predict the rebound won’t happen until 2023 ( UNWTO )
• 64% of tourism experts predict international arrivals will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 or later ( UNWTO )
• 27% of travelers aim to spend more time at their destination in order to fully experience all it has to offer ( Expedia )
• 78% of travelers are now confident in international travel. While New Zealand remains firmly in the top spot for intent, the impact of that confidence is shifting intent from our neighbouring destinations toward long-haul destinations, with Europe and the US moving up the rankings. ( Mediaweek )
• Short-term international travel is rising quickly, with one to two weeks now the most popular length of time to travel for those planning on heading overseas. ( Mediaweek )
• The lowest price is back on the agenda, but peace of mind still trumps it for now with over 50% of travelers willing to pay more to ensure a safe and fun trip. ( Mediaweek )
• 32% say they’d rather take a vacation somewhere they’ve been before. ( GWI )
• 39% of them have already planned and booked a holiday to the destination inspired by where their favorite TV series or movie was filmed ( Rate Hawk )
• Travelers who book tours and activities on their phone spend 50% more than those who book elsewhere ( Arival )
• More than 50% of travelers say they would extend their business trip to enjoy personal time at their destination ( Explodingtopics )

6. Bigger opportunities for distributions

We all know that broadening your distribution channels is one way to increase your booking levels. And in 2022, has been a great year for operators who are strategizing to expand their reach. Find out how the travel industry is performing in the distribution sector.

• In US & Europe,  OTAs accounted for 32% of tour sales in 2022 (compared to 2019) and it is growing at a faster rate compared to other channels. ( Arival )
• The online travel industry generated revenue worth more than $800 billion in 2021. The travel industry is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.58% between 2021 and 2027 – when it’s expected to hit $1463.98 billion ( GBTA )
• The online travel market size worldwide reached the $433.2 billion mark in 2021, and it’s expected to reach $690.71 billion by 2026 ( Statista )

Interested in broadening your distribution channels? Sign up to Rezdy Channel Manager today.

7. Technology shapes the future of travel and tourism

In the modern world we live in, technology has become a major part of our day-to-day lives. Find out how technology is shaping the experiences industry.

• Global mobile users grew to 5.34 billion by the start of Q3 2022, with smartphones accounting for almost 4 in 5 of the mobile handsets in use today. ( Datareportal )
• Internet users have increased by 3.7% over the past 12 months, year-on-year growth of 178 million new users has pushed global internet penetration up to 63.1%. ( Datareportal )
• The global social media user base has increased by more than 5% over the past 12 months, with the latest global total now equivalent to 59% of the world’s total population. ( Datareportal )
• Mobile phones now account for 55.5% of the time we spend using the internet, up from 52% this time last year. ( Datareportal )
• 40% of the world’s travellers say they will turn to virtual reality next year to choose their holidays ( Hospitaliy-on )
• 35% say they will embark on a multi-day travel experience in Virtual or Augmented Reality ( Hospitaliy-on )
• 46% of travellers are more likely to travel to destinations they would not have previously considered after experiencing them virtually ( Hospitaliy-on )
• Travel tech adoption accelerates. Searches for “chatbot” have increased by 933% over the last 10 years. (see below graph) ( Explodingtopics )

8. The power of social media

With Millennials and Gen Z sitting at the top of the list as the highest-spending travelers, it’s important to understand the platforms they use during their decision-making process.

Social media has taken the world by storm and is widely used as a platform by millennials and Gen Z for travel insights and inspiration. 

• Roughly 52% of travelers decided to visit a specific destination after seeing its image/video from friends, family, or peers on social media. ( passport-photo.online )
• Every week, 1M+ travel-related hashtags are searched on Instagram. ( passport-photo.online )
• 69% of the worldwide population uses social media platforms for travel-related needs. ( passport-photo.online )
• Over 37% use social media specifically for travel inspiration. The most popular vacation inspiration sites are: Instagram (67%), Facebook (29%), TripAdvisor (14%) ( passport-photo.online )
• One in five travelers use social media to research: destination (27%), hotel (23%), vacation activities (22%), attractions (21%) & restaurants (17%) ( passport-photo.online )
• Online video consumption has increased from 1hr to 4hrs per day since April ‘2020…with 75% expecting to maintain that (Michelle Martin, Meta – Arival 360 Las Vegas)
• US travelers using their brand for travel: 76% Insta & 73% FB (Michelle Martin, Meta – Arival 360 Las Vegas)

9. The rise in sustainable travel

Travelers nowadays are becoming more conscious and aware of the impacts their trips may have on the environment. In 2023, there was a larger push for more sustainable travel options and activities. Find out what sustainable travelers are looking for.

• 83% of travelers are experiencing travel guilt about their past trips they now worry may not have been sustainable   ( passport-photo.online )
• 67% of travelers claim they’ve purchased carbon offsets at least once when booking plane, bus, or train tickets in the past two years ( passport-photo.online )
• 89% of travelers claim they’ll travel more sustainably in the next 24 months. ( passport-photo.online )
• 81% of travelers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, with 50% saying that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices ( booking.com )
• 59% of travelers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived, with 33% revealing that they chose to travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding ( booking.com )
• 64% of travelers say that they would avoid popular tourist destinations and attractions to ensure more even dispersal of the impact and benefits of their visit ( booking.com )
• 66% of travelers want to have experiences that are representative of the local culture. ( booking.com )
• 34% of travelers don’t know how or where to find activities or tours that ensure they are actually having a positive impact and giving back to the local community ( booking.com )
• Search data from Google shows a 70% rise in people searching for sustainable travel options ( Ecoliv )
• 83% of travelers firmly believe in the importance of sustainable travel. ( Statista )
• According to a Google report, tourism listings that include photos of the places to visit, receive 42% more requests than those that do not ( social.com )
• Furthermore, the same businesses also receive up to 35% more clicks to their websites than those businesses without a listing or photos attached. This is of utmost importance, especially for businesses that claim to be sustainable, as travelers would be reassured once they’ve seen some evidence ( social.com )
• By 2027, the ecotourism market is expected to reach $333.8 billion ( Allied Market Research)
• Recent data shows that more than half of US travelers believe there aren’t enough options when it comes to sustainable travel ( Explodingtopics )
• Searches for “sustainable travel” are up 226% over the last 5 years ( Explodingtopics )
• 91% of travelers see the importance of taking ethical trips ( Explodingtopics )
• 56% believe in buying souvenirs from local merchants ( Explodingtopics )
• 44% want to support local businesses at their destination ( Explodingtopics )
• Searches for “sustainable travel” are up 162% over the last 5 years. (see below graph) ( Explodingtopics )

10. Rise in global leisure travel and spending

With the postponements of many holidays and adventures during COVID, people are ready to make the most of years’ worth of missed experiences by indulging in leisure travel. Find out how people are ready to splurge on luxury.

• Global tourism arrivals will rise by 30% in 2023, following 60% growth in 2022, but they will still not return to pre-pandemic levels ( Traveldailymedia )
• Global leisure travel remains robust, up roughly 31% in March 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, representing an impressive 25% year-over-year-to-date change from 2022 to 2023 ( Mastercard )
• Travelers are increasingly seeking unique experiences in destinations across the world, with spending on experiences up 65%, while spending on things up 12%, compared to 2019 as of March 2023 ( Mastercard )

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Travel Statistics by Age Group 2020-2021

• / Travel Statistics by Age Group

How Do Travel Trends do Travel Trends Differ Between Gen Z, Millennials, & Boomers? Discover Booking Habits, Spend & More!

How do travel trends vary with age? The data shows significant differences in the booking habits of individuals depending on age. Perhaps surprisingly, the demographics reported to have the most vacations is millennials with 35 days per year, that’s 6 more days than their predecessor of Gen Z at 29 days!

Vacations at all ages creates significant income towards the tourism industry, with baby boomers spending over $6,600 on their 2019 holidays and a third of millennials willing to spend $5000 or more on their travel a year. Budget as an influence on travel-making decisions seems to decrease the higher the age, this may be due to more financial stability with career progression. It may also be that the elder population doesn’t desire to have as exotic and financially-draining holidays with over half choosing to travel domestically. Conversely, millennials and Generation Z’s seek to visit new places as a means of relaxation with 83% millennials preferring all-inclusive and worry-free holidays. These have a higher cost so finding the cheaper deals would be even more important.   

TRAVEL TRENDS BY AGE DEMOGRAPHIC:

Those travelling over the age of 30 showed the largest increase in numbers from 2007, going up from 10% to 17%. Those aged between 23 to 30 however, saw a decline of a similar percentage.

The younger Gen Z’s and Millennials are the highest spenders when they travel. Calling themselves 'flashpackers' they spend around about $3,500 per trip and $60 a day.

Millennials make the most of their holiday - most taking an average of 35 days of vacation each year when the average

Followed closely by Gen  Z travellers, who travel 29 days each year. Gen X travels the least , as a result of work and family commitments.

American workers took 17.2 days of vacation in 2017.

Already, there are 40% of millennials planning to take a trip with friends within the next year.

Around 35% of millennials stay in upscale and luxury resorts and hotels.

Gen Z travellers want adventure , while millennials want comfort; 83% of millennials said they prefer all-inclusive and other worry-free vacations and 70% stayed in a hotel on their last trip.

90% of Gen Z say their international travel decisions are influenced by social media.

Gen Z spends about 25% of their budget o n flights.

43% of Generation Z use OTAs to plan trips and take an average of 29 days per year.

62% of baby boomers will use all or most of their annual leave earned at work versus 77% of millennials.

Boomers spend a whopping $157 billion on trips every year.

Quick Links: Navigate Our Statistic Topics

Which age group spends the most on leisure travel in the united states, what are the most popular travel destinations for different age demographics, what age group travels the most & how do they compare, what inspires baby boomers, gen xers, gen z & millennials to travel, how do different generations like to travel, what influences travel plans & booking habits, travel by age demographic: spending statistics.

Gen Z spent a quarter of their budget on flights.

93% of Gen X said they look for the best deals.

81% of Gen Z say budget is a factor for their booking decisions, compared to only 57% of baby boomers.

Gen Xers allocate 13% of their budget to tours/attractions.

Baby boomers spend an average of $1,865 on summer vacations.

They also plan on spending over $6,600 on their 2019 trips.

56% of travellers aged 25-34, spend $500-$1500 for a one-week trip, excluding airfare.

Vacationing millennials spend , on average, $1,373 on summer vacations.

Gen X spent an average of $2,628 on summer vacations.

Millennials are the most likely to go into debt for travel.

A third of millennials are willing to spend $5000 or more on vacation.

Those aged 55-75   planned to spend $6000+ on vacations in 2018.

Which age group spends the most on leisure travel in the United States? Millennials are most likely to get into debt to discover new places. The younger and potentially lower-earning age groups don’t let budget affect their vacation time. However, money is more of an obstacle for the younger demographic when it comes to planning where and what their vacation consists of; 81% of Gen Z’s say budget is a factor in their travel decisions, compared to 57% of boomers. Travellers of all ages are looking to spend their money wisely, with 93% of Gen X looking for the best deals when booking trips. There is no denying that a lot of money is spent travelling, with boomers planning to spend around $6,600 this year on vacations and a third of millennials willing to spend more than $5000.

Sources :  Skift , Groupstoday , Accessdevelopment, Businessinsider, AARP

TRAVEL DESTINATION TRENDS BY AGE GROUP

Just  12%  of those between 40-54 (Gen X)  travelled internationally  in the last year.

19%  of those aged 23-38 holidayed outside their own country.

12% of Gen X holidayed outside own country.

56% of those between 55-75  already decided on a destination for the following year.

The city most young travellers wanted to visit was Rio de Janeiro, followed by Tokyo, Sydney, Buenos Aires, and San Francisco.

51% of millennials, 46% of Gen Xers and 43% of boomers expect to visit  both domestic and international destinations.

42% of millennials, 51% of Gen Xers, and 51% of boomers expect to visit only domestic destinations.

7% of millennials, 3% of Gen Xers and 6% of boomers expect to visit only international destinations.

France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal are the most attractive destinations for Brits over the age of 65.

The statistics show that destinations by age differ as millennials are more commonly holidaying outside their home country than Gen X, at 19% compared to 12%. This may be due to Gen Xers having less time and finances to organise vacations. Additionally, boomers vs millennials trends show that a higher percentage of boomers expect to take domestic holidays over international, compared to the younger demographics. This may be due to millennials wanting to explore more exotic and culturally rich destinations. 

The most attractive destinations for the over 65’s in Britain are the nearby European countries of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. This may be due to the shorter travel times and the destinations being more accommodating for tourists with multilingual staff, easily accessible activities and a wide range of cuisines to pick from.  

Sources :  Skift , Groupstoday , Accessdevelopment, Avanti

TRAVEL TRENDS BY GENERATION: FREQUENCY OF TRAVEL

Generation Z has an average of 29 vacation days per year.

Millennials have an average of 35 vacation days a year.

Generation X has an average of 26 vacation days per year.

Boomers between 55-75 have an average of  27 vacation days  a year.

Generation X accounts for one out of every three leisure travellers and will average between three and four trips this year.

55-75-year-olds plan to have four or five trips in the next year.

42% of baby boomers plan on both domestic and international vacations.

What age group travels the most? Millennials between 23-38 seem to be the age group that travels the most with an average of 35 vacation days a year. This may be more than their younger alternatives of Gen Z’s (7-22) at 29 days as they may have more financial stability and would not have to juggle travelling with their education or with parents. B oomers and Gen Xers may have fewer vacation days due to more commitments, both with families, work and finances. However, despite these barriers, baby boomers still plan to have four to five trips in the next year with 42% planning both domestic and international trips. 

Sources :  Skift , Groupstoday , Accessdevelopment, AARP

TRAVEL STATISTICS BY AGE: REASONS PEOPLE TRAVEL

83% of millennials said they prefer all-inclusive and other worry-free vacations.

56% of Gen Z travel to visit family.

50% of millennial travel is visiting family.

57% of baby boomers travel to visit family and friends.

Millennials are 13% more likely to visit a destination with cultural or historical significance compared to the general population.

47% of millennials and 40% of Gen Z vacation to relax and avoid stress.

45% of millennials travel to learn more about themselves.

These trends suggest that millennials are more likely to visit new places to ‘learn more about themselves’ than they are to visit family whereas over half of the Gen Z and baby boomers travel to visit family and friends. The higher proportion of millennials travelling to experience culture and history than the wider population suggests that they are more interested in experiencing something new and finding out about historical events over their elders.

With almost half of the millennials wanting to learn more about themselves, this indicates they see international travel as an opportunity to gain perspective on their day-to-day lives and take time out for themselves with 83% of millennials opting for all-inclusive and worry-free vacations.

Sources :  Skift , Accessdevelopment, AARP

TYPE OF TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION STATISTICS

70% of millennials stay in hotels.

43% of Gen Xers travel by car.

40% of millennials will take a vacation with their friends in the next year.

62% of millennial parents are vacationing with kids under the age of 5.

Roughly 35% of millennials prefer upscale and luxury hotels/resorts.

96% of millennials are likely to travel solo.

19% of millennials have been or are likely to go on a cruise , compared with 9% of Gen X and 41% of the older baby boomer population.

30% of boomers take a cruise for their vacation.

38% of millennials are likely to visit a major metropolitan city in the next year.

Quick weekend getaways are popular with 16% Gen Xers, 11% boomers, 12% millennials.

25% of boomers extend business trips for leisure time.

Millennials are more likely to go on ‘off the beaten track’ holidays than the wider population.

70% of Gen Xers say vacations are family orientated and are likely to go on more child-friendly holidays.

Millennials seem to stick out as the age group that travels most frequently and looks for the most authentic and culturally-rich experiences. Generation X has more responsibilities, such as children and work, so subsequently, their habits adjust to accommodate those needs. They may travel to child-friendly destinations where there are lots of facilities and attractions for children to keep them entertained.

Cruises are popular with the older generation as they are a great way to see a range of different destinations without having to organise much of the trip yourself. It is a good option for the elder generations who may have mobility issues whereas millennials are more likely to stay in upscale and luxury resorts or take ‘off the beaten track’ holidays. 

Sources :  Skift ,  Accessdevelopment, AARP , Globetrender

TRAVEL STATISTICS BY AGE GROUP: DECISION MAKING & BOOKINGS

90% of Gen Z travel decisions are made by social media.

72% of millennial's travel decisions can be influenced by advertising.

55% of Gen X book through an OTA.

66% of boomers are influenced by ads with informative content.

36% of Gen Z have chosen where to vacation after seeing postings about the destination on social media.

10% of baby boomers are influenced by social media in planning their vacations.

When it comes to millennials vs. baby boomers, there is no denying social media and technology play a big part in booking decisions. Gen Z is most susceptible to being influenced by social media as 90% of their travel decisions are made from what they see online, compared to only 10% of baby boomers. Advertisements with informative content are more influential for baby boomers, perhaps because they offer more practical information compared to social media posts, which tend to contain more inspirational visual imagery. Millennials who have experienced both traditional advertising and new technology, are influenced by both types of media.

Sources :  Groupaccommodation , Expedia , Skift

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Travel and Tourism Statistics: The Ultimate Collection

Ray Bradbury – author of the space travel and colonization classic The Martian Chronicles – once wrote, “Half of the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness.”

What did Mr. Bradbury mean when he penned this now famous quote? We may never know.

Don’t get the wrong idea, of course. We get the part about travel being extra rewarding when people get far off the beaten path into places they didn't even know existed. (Duh.)

What civilization will always wonder is this. Did he mean “half” in the general sense, as in give or take a third? Or “half” in the 50% sense, where if he’d meant 51 percent, he’d have said 51 percent?

Whatever the math behind Ray’s statistical calculations, one thing we know for sure…

People looooooove to travel.

Families and individuals of all ages, sizes and incomes. To faraway lands. For weekend getaways. To pursue new business deals. With kids. Without kids. On planes, trains, automobiles, boats and buses.

Because our hard-earned PTO is usually spent on travel. Because lots of money AND emotional expectation are wrapped up in most of our travel purchase decisions.

So to better understand today’s traveler, we at Access have compiled what we believe is a comprehensive “ultimate collection” of statistics having to do with the travel and tourism industry. We've tried to make this list as relevant as possible, which means we combed through recent research from travel and tourism related sources.

Most of these stats are focused on Americans who travel – though other nationalities may creep into the mix from time to time. We've provided source links for each statistic. Sometimes you’ll find the data conflicts with other sources - so we’ll leave it up to you to decipher which is most accurate.

We'll keep this list updated regularly with the latest and greatest. If you know of a stat we're missing, or want your own research included in our collection, leave us a note in the comments. Enjoy!

• The Cost of Travel: How Much People Spend
• Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel
• Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel

Reasons & Decisions: Why People Travel & How They Decide

• Activities: What People Do When They Travel

Other Travel Statistics

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• Airfare prices are up 9.6%
• Hotel prices are up 15.3%
• Car rental prices are up 51.4%
• Restaurant prices are up 24.2%
• Entertainment prices are up 18.2%
• Despite inflationary pressures, only 5% of travelers said they will or have already decreased their travel budget ( Insider Intelligence, 2023 )
• 34% of consumers say their personal financial situation has a negative impact on their willingness to travel ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 69% of travelers would spend more during a vacation if they knew it supported the local community ( American Express, 2023 )
• Nearly 25% of global travelers plan to travel more frugally in 2023 ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 38% of travelers cook their own food to cut down on vacation costs ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 84% of travelers plan to spend more on travel this year than in 2022 ( Hopper, 2023 )
• Travelers who fly midweek can save an average of $90 off domestic airfare and $140 on international airfare ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 56% of travelers plan to increase per person travel spending over 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 85% of travelers from North America and 73% from the rest of the world are most concerned about inflation and rising costs ( The IRF, 2023 )
• U.S. businesses expect their international share of travel costs will jump 33% in 2023 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 1/3 of US businesses say they need to reduce travel per employee by more than 20% to meet their 2030 sustainability targets ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 71% of US businesses expect a full recovery in travel spend by the end of 2024 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• US businesses expect to that 33% of their business travel budget will be on international trips (16% on trips to Europe, 10% to South America and 10% to Asia) ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• Higher travel prices is the number one factor slowing the return of business travel, followed by travel restrictions and reduced travel budgets ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 90% of businesses will reimburse for non-hotel accommodations, up from 50% in 2022 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• To help control business travel spending, 59% of businesses are picking cheaper, alternative lodging, 58% are negotiating preferred rates, 56% are picking lower-cost flights and 45% are limiting travel frequency ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 49% of travelers will spend more on travel in 2023 because of missed vacations during the pandemic. 43% will maximize their experience and 33% will shop for items not available back home ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• The highest priority for most travelers financially is restaurants/dining experience (34%) followed by suitable accommodations (32%), all-inclusive accommodations (28%), travel insurance (27%) and purchasing souvenirs (25%) ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Using deals, hacks and smartly-timed travel (63%)
• Planning further in advance (61%)
• Using discounts and loyalty programs (60%)
• Taking 2 longer vacations rather than more short ones (55%)
• Choosing off-season destinations or longer routes (53%)
• 69% of millennials use technology to help save money when traveling ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• When booking a hotel, 23% of travelers most value finding atypically low pricing, 21% value the ability to get a full refund on cancellations and 14% value enhanced and frequent cleaning methods most ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 60% of travelers say “getting the right price” is the most important feature of online travel booking sites ( Expedia, 2023 )
• A complimentary add-on (like free parking) (33%)
• A discount for booking in advance (33%)
• A discount for booking a package (32%)
• A discount for booking last minute (22%)
• A discount for booking a longer stay or trip (22%)
• A discount for booking through a mobile app (21%)
• A discount for a specific location (20%)
• A discount for being a member of the travel provider’s loyalty program (17%)
• 37% of travelers prioritize lowest cost when booking travel, 35% prioritize minimizing COVID-19 exposure ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers say inflation will impact their travel plans over the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 31% of travelers say their travel budget will be the same this year as it was last year, 43% have a larger budget this year ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 1 in 3 consumers are planning an upcoming business trip ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Americans are more willing to splurge on travel plans in 2022: 15% will upgrade rooms or flights, 16% will visit bucket-list destinations, 32% will splurge on the things that take a trip from good to great ( Expedia )
• Travelers age 18-34 are the most likely to go big on their next trip (80% compared to 56% of travelers over 50) ( Expedia )
• Gen X travelers are the most likely to splurge on a high-end restaurant (18%, compared to 16% overall) ( Expedia )
• In 2021, premium economy ticket prices were around 290% more expensive than economy tickets, compared to pre-pandemic when they were 430% more expensive ( Expedia )
• 68% of Americans are planning to go big on their next trip ( Expedia )
• 40% of US travelers are more willing than ever to splurge on their future travels ( Expedia )
• Global travel and tourism levels are projected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, contributing nearly $2 trillion to the US economy ( WTTC )
• U.S. domestic travel & tourism spending is forecast to reach more than $1.1 trillion for the year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 11.3% ( WTTC )
• International traveler spending in the U.S. could reach $155 billion which is a growth of $113 billion, compared to 2020, though it would still be slightly below (14%) 2019 levels ( WTTC )
• Employment travel and tourism could surpass pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 16.8 million jobs, which is above pre-pandemic levels by almost 200,000 jobs ( WTTC )
• Airline losses from 2020-2022 could reach $200 billion ( IATA )
• After reducing costs in 2021 by 34%, expenses are expected to rise again in 2022 due to expanded operations and higher fuel prices, averaging only 15% lower than pre-pandemic levels ( IATA )
• Boomers plan to spend the most of any generation: at least $4,000 on travel in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• With the rising price of fuel, domestic flight prices rose 36% in March 2022 from the beginning of the year to reach an average price of $300 ( Bloomberg )
• The 2022 travel price index rose 12%, mostly driven by a 44% increase in motor oil ( US Travel )
• The January 2022 travel price index was 11.6% higher than 2019 levels (on par with consumer prices overall) ( US Travel )
• In January 2022, travel spending declined to $79 billion, this is down from $92 billion in December and down 11% from January 2019 levels ( US Travel )
• 50% of travelers would not pay extra for plane fare that offers free cancellation, 17% would pay up to $20 more, 16% would pay $20-$49 more and 9% would pay $50-$99 more ( Morning Consult )
• 56% of travelers would not pay extra for plane fare from a company that prioritizes pandemic safety, 17% would pay up to $20 more, 13% would pay $20-$49 more and 9% would pay $50-$99 more ( Morning Consult )
• 51% of Americans who traveled in the spring of 2021 plan to spend more when they travel in 2022, 23% plan to spend significantly more ( Trip Advisor )
• Average spend per booking for US travelers in spring 2022 is up 87% year-over-year ( Trip Advisor )
• American travelers are spending 29% more on their average booking in 2022 than they did in 2019, this is despite staying an average of 3.7 days, down from 4.4 days in 2019 ( Trip Advisor )
• The economic contribution of global tourism in 2021 is estimated at $1.9 trillion, above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still below the $3.5 trillion in 2019 ( UNWTO )
• Global tourism spending is estimated to be $1,500 per trip in 2021, up from $1,300 in 2020 ( UNWTO )
• In 2020, international travelers spent $83 billion compared to $233 billion in 2019, a loss of 64% ( US Travel )
• In 2020, International travelers spent money on US goods and services ( US Travel ):
• Travel spending - $38.1 billion (compared to $139 billion in 2019)
• Passenger fares - $26.5 billion (compared to $40.1 billion in 2019)
• Education-related - $37.4 billion (compared to $44 billion in 2019)
• Health-related - $0.2 billion (compared to $1.2 billion in 2019)
• Border/seasonal workers - $7.6 billion (compared to $9.1 billion in 2019)
• US travel spending in 2020 totaled $680.3 billion ($642.2 billion domestic travel spending and $38.1 billion international spending) ( US Travel )
• US travel spending in 2019 totaled $1,172.6 billion ($993.5 billion domestic travel spending and $179.1 billion international spending) ( US Travel )
• In 2019 traveler spending totaled $1.1 trillion: $278.9B for food services, $242.3B for lodging, $210.8B for public transportation, $169.7B for auto transportation, $117.8B for recreation/amusement and $107.3B for retail ( US Travel Association )
• Direct spending on leisure travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $792.4 billion in 2019 ( US Travel Association )
• Direct spending on business travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $334.2 billion in 2019 ( US Travel Association )
• Travel and tourism was the second most-popular choice for discretionary spending ( Phocuswright )
• In 2019, domestic travel spending grew 4.4% (for leisure grew 5.1%, for business grew 2.8%) ( US Travel Association )
• The average booking cart is slightly above US$150 ( Tour Scanner )
• Millennials spent $4,400 (avg.) on travel in 2019, (Gen-Xers’ $5,400; Boomers’ $6,600) ( CNBC )
• Domestic travel expenditures industry breakdown for 2019 were: food services 25%, public transportation 20%, lodging 20%, auto transportation 17%, recreation/amusement 11%, retail 7% ( US Travel Association )
• On average, Americans plan to spend $737 on their upcoming trip. Gen Xers will spend more than other age groups, and parents of kids under 18 plan to shell out more than $1,000 ( Value Penguin )
• The average expense for a 4-night domestic vacation is $581 (or $144 per day): $224 for transportation, $150 for lodging, $155 for food/alcohol and $52 for entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• The average expense for a 12-night international trip is $3,251 (or $271 per day): $1,755 for transportation, $683 for lodging, $520 for food/alcohol and $293 or entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• Americans spend an average of $33 per day on food when on a domestic vacation, about 80% of which is spent in restaurants ( Value Penguin )
• Americans spend an average of $35 per day on food when on an international vacation, about 90% of which is spent in restaurants ( Value Penguin )
• 36% of travelers rated travel as an important spending priority ( Phocuswright )
• $1,036 billion was spent on traveling in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• 2.7% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) attributed to travel and tourism ( US Travel Association )
• Business travel accounted for $317.2 billion in spending in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Leisure travel accounted for $718.4 billion in spending in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Americans spend $101.1 Billion on summer vacations ( Travel Agent Central )
• On average, Americans will spend $1,978 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• The average international trip for American travelers now costs $6,080 ( Squaremouth )
• Vacationing millennials (ages 18-34) spent, on average, $1,373 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• 56% of travelers aged 25-34, spend $500-$1500 for a one week trip, excluding airfare ( Solo Traveler )
• Baby Boomers (ages 55+) spent an average of $1,865 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• Baby Boomers plan on spending over $6,600 on their 2019 travel ( AARP )
• Generation X (ages 35-54) spent an average of $2,628 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• The typical traveler anticipates spending nearly $3,900 on vacations in 2018 ( Destination Analysts )
• On average, Americans in the South spent less on vacationing ($564 on domestic and $3,169 on international) compared to the Northeast, Midwest, and West ( Reward Expert )
• Baby Boomers expect to take 4-5 leisure trips next year, spending up to $6,395 on travel expenses - the same or more than they spend in 2017 ( AARP )
• Generation X will spend up to $5,434 on travel and millennials up to $6,802 in 2018 ( AARP )
• 26% of American domestic travel expenses go towards food services, 20% towards public transportation, 20% towards lodging, 17% towards auto transportation, 10% towards recreation/amusement and 7% towards retail ( US Travel Association )
• Travelers who book their activities ahead of their trip spend 47% more on lodging than those who wait to book ( Booking.com )
• Lodging costs are about 26% of total travel expenditures for domestic trips, and 21% for international trips ( Value Penguin )
• On average, excluding airfare, 30% travelers aged 55-64 spend $1500-$2500 on a one-week trip ( Solo Traveler )
• The average cost for American travelers to visit Norway is $9,754 ( Squaremouth )
• The average daily rate for hotels in the United States was $126.72 in 2017 ( Statista )
• Activities are the third largest segment of travel at $129 Billion ( Phocuswright )
• $220.4 million was spent on lodging in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• $106.6 million was spent on recreation/amusement in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Food plus alcohol take up about 16% of the budget for an American’s international trips, and about 27% of their domestic trips ( Value Penguin )
• Transportation costs make up 54.3% of international trip expenditures and 39.1% on domestic trips ( Reward Expert )
• More than 25% of travel costs go toward food for domestic travel and 16.2% for international travel ( Reward Expert )
• 37% of travelers are very likely to splurge on food and drink experiences ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 4% of travelers are likely to splurge on first or business class air fare ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 27% of travelers are likely to spend more on events or festivals ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 12% of travelers are likely to splurge on guided tours ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• The typical vacationing U.S. family spends about 44% of their travel funds getting to, from, and around their destinations ( Value Penguin )
• Travelers who book their activities ahead of their trip spend 81% more on transportation than those who wait to book their destination ( Booking.com )
• The average traveler spends about 9% of their vacation budget on entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• 65.3% of Americans say that leisure travel is somewhat of a budget priority for them ( Destiantion Analysts )
• 47% of millennials say cost is a barrier for why they won’t travel ( AARP )
• Millennials are the most likely to go into debt for travel ( Travel Pulse )
• 83% of families will splurge on their travel destination when planning a vacation, 68% on paid attractions, 68% on staying close to their destination, 63% on eating out/food and 63% on the length of their trip ( NYU )
• 62% of families will skimp on souvenirs/shopping when planning a vacation ( NYU )
• 24% of solo travelers spend more than $1,500 for one week of vacation (excluding airfare) ( Solo Traveler World )
• Each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,200 when they visit the U.S. and stays on average 18 nights ( US Travel Association )
• Experience beats expense when it comes to family travel ( Expedia Group )
• Flying coach instead of business saved business travelers $2,975 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Dropping a hotel star class saved business travelers $54 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• 42% of Americans paid lodging costs for domestic travel vs. 60% for international travel, as domestic travelers often stay with family and friends ( Value Penguin )
• Staying with friends or family saved business travelers $234 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• Staying at an Airbnb saved business travelers $110 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• Taking an early-bird flight saved business travelers $66 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Taking a low-cost carrier saved business travelers $281 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Managers saved an average of 15% per trip, $572 per year and took an average of 5 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• Directors saved an average of 12% per trip, $684 per year and took an average of 6 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• Vice Presidents saved an average of 11% per trip, $651 per year and took an average of 6 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• CXOs saved an average of 9% per trip, $1,081 per year, and took an average of 8 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• 26% of Americans will use their rewards points or miles to fund their next vacation ( Value Penguin )
• Vacation spending is equal to about 2% of the total budgets of all U.S. households annually ( Value Penguin )

Traveler Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel

• Of travelers who subscribe to travel related paid subscriptions, 62% are male and 38% are female ( Trip Advisor )
• Of American travelers who subscribe to a travel related paid subscription program, 11% are between the ages of 18-24, 26% are 25-34, 22% are 35-44 and 25% are 55+ ( Trip Advisor )
• Millennials are planning to take the most trips of any generation: an average of 4.4 trips in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• 52% of active leisure travelers are members of at least one hotel loyalty program, and 48% have joined at least one airline loyalty program ( MMGY )
• Millennials are 11-percentage-points more likely to stay at a chain hotel than the general population ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers with an income of less than $50,000 are the least likely to say price is a top priority ( Morning Consult )
• 42% of US Adults who took more than 3 business trips per year pre-pandemic expect to never travel for business again, 14% expect to take a business trip after more than a year, 10% within 7-12 months, 13% within 4-6 months, 13% within 1-3 months and 7% in less than a month ( Morning Consult )
• More employed travelers anticipate taking a blended trip (combining business and leisure travel) in the next year: 40% with an even split between business and leisure, 40% blended primarily business and 44% blended primarily leisure. 41% of travelers anticipate taking a business only trip this year and 76% taking a leisure only trip ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to stay at a hotel in the next 3 months at 39%, followed by boomers (28%), Gen X (23%) and Gen Z (9%) ( Morning Consult )
• 75% of travelers who plan to stay in a hotel in the spring of 2022 are vaccinated and 16% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 6% of all US adults will stay in a vacation rental in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 20% of travelers with travel plans in the next 3 months expect to stay in a vacation rental ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to stay in a vacation rental at 46%, followed by Gen X (17%), boomers (16%) and Gen Z (21%) ( Morning Consult )
• US adults who have imminent travel plans are more likely to want precautions from travel brands ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers predict they will next travel for leisure in 1 month (11%), 1-3 months (22%), 4-6 months (22%), 7-12 months (13%), in more than a year (19%) and never (12%) ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers of all demographics are more comfortable traveling now than they were during the height of the Omicron outbreak, with high income earners and previous travelers reporting feeling the most comfortable ( Morning Consult )
• In March 2022, more than half of US adults said they would travel for leisure in the next 6 months, up 6 percentage points from January 2022 ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers who traveled 3 or more times a year before the pandemic (who are likely to be millennials and high income earners) are the most likely to be planning a trip soon ( Morning Consult )
• US travelers saw a 5-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 50% to 55%)
• German travelers saw a 17-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 46% to 63%)
• UK travelers saw a 13-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 44% to 57%)
• China travelers saw a 10-percentage-point decrease in confidence (from 47% to 37%)
• Japan travelers saw a 6-percentage-point decrease in confidence (from 33%) to 27%)
• 14% of all US adults will travel by plane in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 41% of people with travel plans in the next three months expect to fly ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to take a flight at 35%, followed by boomers (27%), Gen X (21%) and Gen Z (16%) ( Morning Consult )
• 83% of travelers who plan to fly in spring of 2022 are vaccinated and 11% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 77% of US adults have stayed in a hotel or resort, 65% have flown and 27% have taken a cruise ( Morning Consult )
• 51% of business travelers said they traveled for business at least four times a year pre-pandemic compared to 31% during the pandemic ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are 13% more likely to travel to a destination with cultural or historical significance ( Responsible Travel )
• 20% of all travelers are Millennials, and they take an average 7.4 trips per year. ( Project Time Off )
• The average millennial has planned on roughly 5 trips for 2020. ( CNBC )
• 40% of Millennial travelers will take a vacation with their friends in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• American women rank first in solo traveling and are more likely to take three trips or more in a given year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 62% of Millennial parents are traveling with kids under the age of 5 ( Resonance Consultancy – D.K. Shifflet & Associates)
• Roughly 35% of Millennial travelers prefer upscale and luxury hotels/resorts ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 25% of families went on a family vacation that was 1-3 nights in duration ( NYU )
• Travelers in the South are more likely to be making plans for a family trip this year (62%) than travelers in the Northeast (35%) ( Travel Agent Central )
• 68% of family travelers will embark on a summer getaway, while 45% are making plans to travel as a family this spring ( Travel Agent Central )
• 80% of families take a vacation during summer ( NYU )
• 42% of families take a spring break vacation ( NYU )
• 24% of families have traveled internationally with their children for multiple days ( NYU)
• 43% of solo travelers travel three or more times in a year ( Solo Traveler World )
•  46% of women traveling solo said they travel alone for freedom, independence, and the chance to do what they want, when they want ( Solo Traveler World )
• 72% of American women are taking solo vacations ( Booking.com )
• Baby Boomers expect to take 4-5 leisure trips in 2023 ( AARP )
• 50% of solo travelers have a university or college degree or diploma ( Solo Traveler )
• 96% of people ages 25-34 are likely to travel independently ( Solo Traveler World )
• 19% of people ages 25-34 have been or are likely to go on a cruise, 9% of ages 35-44 and 41% of ages 65+ ( Solo Traveler World )
• 54% of people ages 35-44 take vacation for adventure ( Solo Traveler World )
• 79% of Americans would consider taking a long distance international trip during winter ( Qantas )
• 58% of Millennials would travel solo and 26% already have ( The Cashlorette )
• 26% of Millennial women have traveled solo before and 27% have not but would consider doing so in the future ( The Cashlorette )
• 49% of millennial's take last minute vacations ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• 58% of millennials prefer to travel with friends ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• 50% of families who had paid vacation time did not use all of their vacation days in 2016 ( NYU )
• 21% of families have taken their children to an all-inclusive resort for vacation, 68% on a family road trip, and 68% on a beach vacation ( NYU )
• Women book tours and activities 67% of the time ( TrekkSoft )
• Women are over 10% more likely to take out loans for the sake of taking a vacation ( Bustle )
• Of people who traveled in 2016, 24% were solo travelers, 47% were adults, and 29% were adults with children ( US Travel Association )
• 28% of low income travelers used a train on their last trip ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of people ages 55+ take a cruise for their vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• Travelers with high incomes are more likely to have taken many different types of trips: adventure travel (33%), music event (31%), other festival (30%), cruise (27%), and skiing/snowboarding (20%) ( Trip Advisor )
• Low income travelers are more likely to have traveled independently (38%) compared to middle (31%) and high income (31%) travelers ( Trip Advisor )
• 35% of solo travelers have post-graduate degrees ( Solo Traveler )

Travel Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel

• Based on searches for lodgings, the following locations are fastest growing in interest for 2023: Edinburg Scotland, Lisbon Portugal, Tokyo Japan, Dublin Ireland, New York USA ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 16% of travelers traveled internationally in April 2023, the highest in years ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 1/3 of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel internationally, 13 points higher than the same time last year ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 78% of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel domestically ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 48% of leisure travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 56% arrange transportation to get there and 54% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 57% of business travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 64% arrange transportation to get there and 61% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 68% of people pride themselves on finding lesser-known vacation spots before they become popular ( American Express, 2023 )
• When choosing a destination 52% of travelers trust the recommendations of friends and family most, 44% look to travel providers for inspiration and 33% look to social media ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers plan to travel by air in the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The average trip to the U.S. is 4.5 days, half a day shorter than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Europe is 16.1 days, which is 1.3 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Africa and the Mideast is 24.5 days, which is 0.7 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Asia is 31.4 days, which is 7 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Oceania is 21 days, which is 1.6 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to South America is 16.4 days, which is 0.4 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 1 in 2 consumers are likely to travel internationally in the next 12 months or already have a trip booked ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The top 3 destinations for outdoor enthusiasts because of national parks and natural wonders are: 1. Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica 2. Jim Corbett National Park, India and 3. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The top US destination for outdoor enthusiasts is Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for food lovers because of restaurants and restaurants and foodie experiences are: 1. Rome, Italy 2. London, UK and 3. Paris, France. The top US destination for food lovers is New York City, New York ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for big city lovers are: 1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2. London, UK and 3. Rome, Italy. The top US destination for big city lovers is Las Vegas, Nevada ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for sun seekers because of pristine beaches and clear waters are: 1. Cancun, Mexico 2. Bali, Indonesia and 3. Crete, Greece. The top US destination for sun seekers is Oahu, Hawaii ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for skiers are: 1. Zermatt, Switzerland 2. Jackson, Wyoming and 3. Banff, Alberta ( TripAdvisor )
• Secluded mountain / rural escapes and waterfront getaways are the most popular vacation rentals of 2022 ( Evolve )
• Only 15% of travelers booking vacation rentals are headed to urban areas in 2022 ( Evolve )
• 27% of travelers favor international trips despite restrictions still in place ( Evolve )
• There was a 4% rise in international tourist arrivals in 2021 from the previous year, meaning it was still down 72% from pre-pandemic levels ( UNWTO )
• The pace of international tourism recovery has been uneven due to varying degrees of restrictions, vaccination rates and traveler confidence. Europe recovered 19% over 2021 and the Americas recovered 17%, while Asia and the Pacific arrivals fell 65% below 2021 levels ( UNWTO )
• 71% of travelers who plan to stay in a vacation rental are vaccinated and 20% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 7 of the 10 fastest growing destinations for spring 2022 (based on YOY growth) are outside the US ( Trip Advisor )
• Paris, London and Rome are the top three trending international travel destinations for spring 2022 ( Trip Advisor )
• Orlando, Florida will welcome the most visitors overall in spring 2022, and Hawaii will see the greatest YOY growth from spring 2021, likely the result of relaxing its travel restrictions ( Trip Advisor )
• The top 5 most popular spring travel destinations are: Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Cancun, Mexico; Key West, Florida; Miami Beach, Florida ( Trip Advisor )
• The top 5 fastest growing spring travel destinations are: Honolulu, Hawaii; Paris, France; Lahaina, Hawaii; London, United Kingdom; Rome, Italy ( Trip Advisor )
• 65% of leisure travelers did not travel internationally in 2020 ( TripAdvisor )
• 47% of travelers globally say they plan to travel internationally in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 30% of travelers globally say won’t travel internationally in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 11% of travelers have already booked an international trip for 2022 and an additional 17% say they are researching international trips with the intent to book ( TripAdvisor )
• 13% of US travelers have booked an international trip in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• Hotel searches for trips in Jan-Apr 2022 are predominantly for domestic locations, while searches for trips in May-Dec 2022 are predominantly for international locations ( TripAdvisor )
• 77% of travelers globally say they will be more likely to travel internationally, and 86% domestically, if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine ( TripAdvisor )
• 34% of US travelers say they are much more likely to take an international trip in 2022 once they’ve received the vaccine ( TripAdvisor )
• 26% of travelers globally, 30% of US travelers, say they will only travel to destinations that require visitors to be vaccinated before travel ( TripAdvisor )
• 64% of people who plan to travel in 2022, plan to take 2+ domestic trips ( TripAdvisor )
• 60% of people who plan to travel in 2022, plan to take local trips ( TripAdvisor )
• In the first week of January, nearly 70% of hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were booking domestic trips ( TripAdvisor )
• Globally, 74% of travelers plan to take at least one domestic trip, and 45% plan at least 2 domestic trips, in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 34% of US travelers are planning at least three domestic trips in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 56% of Americans have taken a staycation recently ( YouGov)
• 2020 Google searches for “staycation” have jumped 45% YoY ( Google )
• AAA estimates Americans will make 700 million car trips from July-Sept 2020 ( AAA )
• Popular hotels are selling out nationwide during the pandemic. ( CNN )
• Post-pandemic “revenge spending” indicates travel will be among the first industries to recover. ( Forbe s)
• Weekly pent-up demand for post-pandemic travel continues to grow . ( TravelPulse )
• Top destinations in 2019 were predicted to be The Turkish Riviera, Egypt, The Peloponnese, Matera, Perth, The Scottish Highlands, St Barths, Arles, Valle de Guadalupe and New Orleans ( CN Traveller )
• The Southeast region of the U.S. (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana) captured the largest share of domestic online searches for vacation lodging at 34% followed by the Far West (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada) at 23%, the Mideast (New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania) at 14%, the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma) at 11%, Great Lakes Region (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio) at 7%, Rocky Mountain Range (Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado) at 5%, the Plains Region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri) at 3% and the New England Region  (Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine) at 3% ( US Travel Association )
• Top 10 U.S. destinations for travel agencies in 2018 include: Alaskan Cruises (47.9%), Orlando (38.6%), Las Vegas (35.4%), Maui (30.9%), NYC (27.7%), Honolulu (25.7%), Hawaiian Cruise (16.5%), Miami/Miami Beach (15.5%), Washington D.C. (14.7%), Los Angeles (12.9%) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Top 10 international travel locations for travel agencies in 2018 include: Caribbean Cruise (34.7%), Cancun (28.3%), Cruise – Europe (River) (23.1%),  Cruise – Europe (Mediterranean) (17.4%), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (17.2%), Rome (16%), London (15.5%), Amsterdam and Montego Bay, Jamaica (12.6%), Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Mexico (11.4%), and Pairs (11.1%) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Most popular 2019 destinations for American travelers are Florida (17%), California (11%), New York (5%), Texas (5%), and Las Vegas (5%) ( AARP )
• The top five summer road trip routes are: Las Vegas to National Parks, Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast, Northern New England, Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, and Black Hills in South Dakota ( AAA )
• Top 2019 international destinations include Europe (41%), the Caribbean (20%), and Asia and the Middle East (11%) ( AARP )
• Iceland welcomed 2.2 million foreign travelers in 2017, with 32.9% of arrivals being in the winter months ( Iceland Tourist Board )
• Australia is the number one international destination for solo travel ( Booking.com )
• 38% of Millennial travelers are likely to visit a major metropolitan city in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 50% of Americans, 89% of Indian people, and 69% of French people have traveled to at least one country of their ancestry ( Forbes 2019 )
• 40% of Millennial travelers are likely to visit a beach resort in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• Traveling to Mexico has dropped from 22% in 2017 to 9% for 2018 ( AARP )
• Travel to the United Kingdom has dropped from 15% in 2017 to 6% for 2018 ( AARP )
• Travel to Canada has dropped from 17% in 2017 to 4% for 2018 ( AARP )
• 7% of millennials, 3% of Gen X and 6% of Baby Boomers expect to travel only to international destinations ( AARP )
• 42% of Millennials, 51% of Gen X, and 51% of Baby Boomers expect to travel only to domestic destinations ( AARP )
• 51% of millennials, 46% of Gen X and 43% of Baby Boomers expect to travel to both domestic and international destinations ( AARP )
• 75% of people travel within the U.S. and farther than a bordering state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 39.8% of people travel internationally (Canada, Mexico, and/or Caribbean) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Last year international tourist arrivals worldwide reached 1.4 billion ( Stuff )
• 39.5% of people travel within their home state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 33.1% of people travel to a bordering state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 24% of Americans travel internationally (Europe) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 35% of Americans, are planning to take a vacation of 50 miles or more away from home involving two or more immediate family ( AAA ) 
• 55% of families have taken their children on vacation to Florida, 31% to California, and 26% to New York ( NYU )
• 41% of travelers aged 65+, go on cruises for vacation ( Solo Traveler )
• 43% of families have traveled to a National Park with their children for family vacations ( NYU )
• Road trips represented 22% of vacations taken by American travelers in 2016 ( MMGY Global )
• 53% of traveling families expect to pack up their cars for a road trip this year ( Travel Agent Central )
• 57% of global travelers take a beach vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• 56% of global travelers choose a destination to explore city history ( Trip Advisor )
• 52% of global travelers go on vacation to visit family/friends ( Trip Advisor )
• 26% of global travelers go on vacation to attend an event or festival ( Trip Advisor )
• 25% of U.S. destination selectors say they actively research new trips at least once a month ( Phocuswright )

• 46% of travelers will opt for the travel option with the best customer reviews over the best value ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking transportation, 49% said a brand’s safety measures, 41% said fare flexibility, 38% said past experience with a brand, 29% said amenities available, 22% said environmental impact ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 62% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking accommodations, 48% said a brand’s safety measures, 45% said rate flexibility, 39% said past experience with a brand, 37% said amenities available, 31% said loyalty program perks and 28% said potential to earn/redeem loyalty points ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 59% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to get away ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 52% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to visit family or friends ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 17% of leisure travelers booked a trip for a special event ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 11% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they found a deal they couldn’t pass up ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 85% of people plan to take 2+ leisure trips in 2023 ( American Express, 2023 )
• 78% of people see travel as an important budget priority ( American Express, 2023 )
• 74% of people care more about creating a travel experience that meets their expectations than about the cost ( American Express, 2023 )
• 89% of people want to travel to destinations they’ve never visited before ( American Express, 2023 )
• 79% of Gen-Z an millennials would love to participate in “a day in the life of locals” at their travel destinations ( American Express, 2023 )
• 75% of travelers have been inspired by social media to a specific destination, 64% were inspired by TV shows, movies or the news ( American Express, 2023 )
• 48% of travelers want to travel somewhere so they can show off on social media ( American Express, 2023 )
• 47% of travelers are influenced by recommendations from family and friends in choosing travel destinations ( American Express, 2023 )
• 66% of gen-z and millennials get most of their inspiration for what and where to eat while traveling from social media ( American Express, 2023 )
• 2/3 of travelers have considered, and 39% have booked trips to destinations after seeing them on streamed shows or movies ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Globally, 38% of travelers plan to book a hotel with extras like plush toiletries or free breakfast ( Expedia, 2023 )
• On average, travelers first search for their trip 5 weeks before departure, and book 3 weeks before departure ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 40% of travelers start researching with firm destination and dates in mind ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 37% of travelers start researching with flexible destination and dates ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 55% of consumers plan to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022 ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 72% of consumers who received personalized recommendations on their booking site report that their loyalty programs deliver what they value most, only 48% of those who receive personalized recommendations through email say the same ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• About 1/3 of travels are likely to choose a destination that is within a drivable distance ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 62% of people prefer to drive when traveling, making it the most popular mode of transportation ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 23% of travelers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 43% of travelers will use virtual reality to inspire destination choices ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 73% of travelers are more optimistic about travel in 2023 than they were in 2022 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 72% of travelers say traveling is still worth it even amidst of global economic and political uncertainty ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 70% of travelers say they are more likely to choose travel options that are more inclusive, even if they’re more expensive ( Expedia, 2023 )
• U.S. travelers return to booking apps to double check travel prices 33% more often ( Hopper, 2023 )
• On average, travelers allow 30% less travel planning time when researching and booking trips ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 29% of travelers will travel in 2023 related to trips or events that were delayed by the pandemic ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 77% of travelers will tack personal travel onto their work trip ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 57% of travelers prioritize making sure the experience is worth the cost, 51% prioritize cleanliness and safety ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 49% of travelers say they are motivated to travel for physical and mental health benefits, 49% for a change in scenery, 46% want to make up for lost time with friends and family ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 78% of people have made a travel choice based on promotions or ad they felt represented them through messaging or visuals ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 60% of travel businesses have made changes in the last year to increase inclusivity and accessibility, an additional 21% have plans to do so ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 90% of consumers are looking for sustainable options when traveling ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 47% of consumers would never book non-refundable lodging, and 51% would never book non-refundable transportation ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 76% of business travelers plan to extend a work trip for leisure purposes in the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 28% of people plan to take a trip in the next 12 months which will include both remote work and vacation leisure ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 37% of people will travel for business for the reason of meeting and working with customers, 32% for industry conferences and events and 26% for internal team meetings ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The most popular reasons for travel cited by American travelers include: rest and relaxation (51%), escaping day to day life (49%) and visiting family and friends (44%) ( Trip Advisor )
• 34% of travelers would be significantly less likely to travel if scientists determine Omicron is more resistant to current vaccines, 32% if scientists determine Omicron is more easily transmitted ( MMGY )
• Vaccinated travelers are on average more cautious than unvaccinated travelers ( MMGY )
• Business travel sentiment improved in February 2022 to 89% ( US Travel )
• Nearly 9 in 10 companies are planning business travel in the next 90 days (as of Feb 2022) ( US Travel )
• 82% of American travelers are excited to travel in the next 12 months—the highest level since the start of the pandemic ( US Travel )
• 82% of business travel organizations felt their employees were willing to travel in February 2022, up from 54% in January ( US Travel )
• 40% of US travelers want the feeling that they have made the most out of their trip ( Expedia )
• 37% of US travelers admit to being less spontaneous since the onset of COVID-19, but 25% are willing to be more spontaneous and another 26% are aiming to be more flexible this time around ( Expedia )
• 24% of travelers plan to spend less time on their devices and be more present ( Expedia )
• 27% of travelers aim to spend more time at their destination in order to fully experience all it has to offer ( Expedia )
• Makes the trip more fun (46%)
• Less expensive fares because of flexible timing (43%)
• Visit friends and family more often (43%)
• Travel to places you couldn’t otherwise (44%)
• Save on costs because employer covers part (43%)
• Earn more loyalty/rewards points (37%)
• 45% of the blended (business and leisure) trips planned in the next 12 months will be 2-3 days in length, 34% will be 4-6 days, 14% will be 1-2 weeks and only 5% will be longer than 2 weeks ( Morning Consult )
• Fast and free Wi-Fi is the most preferred amenity by travelers for “workcations” ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers over 40 are nearly 4x as likely to book trips longer than 1 week, and 5x as likely to book trips longer than 2 weeks than travelers under 40 ( Evolve )
• 54% of travelers under 40 prefer trips 3-4 nights in length ( Evolve )
• Despite pandemic uncertainty, only 4% of travelers don’t plan to travel in 2022 ( Evolve )
• 50% of travelers cite flexible cancellation/rebooking policies as a top factor in their 2022 travel decisions – much more than the 23% who prioritized cleanliness ( Evolve )
• 80% of travelers are actively moving forward with 2022 travel plans ( Evolve )
• Of travelers with 2022 travel plans, 47% say they won’t consider cancelling until much closer to their trip dates and 32% plan to travel no matter what happens ( Evolve )
• 86% of respondents plan to book a vacation rental in 2022, and another 14% said “maybe” ( Evolve )
• 62% of travelers plan on taking 3 or more trips in 2022 ( Evolve )
• The average trip length will likely be 5-7 nights in 2022, compared to 3.8 nights in 2020 and 2021 ( Evolve )
• 16% of all US adults will stay in a hotel in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 49% of US adults who have travel plans in the next 3 months expect to stay at a chain hotel ( Morning Consult )
• 53% of Americans plan to travel in the spring of 2022, 39% plan to take 2 or more trips ( Trip Advisor )
• 35% of Americans reported traveling in the winter of 2021 ( Trip Advisor )
• Often a travel business’ loyalty program is worth more than the brand itself. For example, AAdvantage, American Airlines’ passenger loyalty program is valued between $19.5 - $31.5 billion compared to American Airlines which is valued at $6 billion ( Catalyst )
• Travel and hospitality loyalty programs ( Catalyst )
• 80% of travel and hospitality marketers say their organization has a loyalty program ( Catalyst )
• The average tenure of travel and hospitality loyalty programs is 6.5 years ( Catalyst )
• 1/3 of travel and hospitality loyalty programs have undergone a recent refresh ( Catalyst )
• 2/3 of travel and hospitality marketers feel they use loyalty best practices in running their programs ( Catalyst )
• 77% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer transactional rewards, such as the ability to earn and redeem points ( Catalyst )
• 69% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer member-only discounts ( Catalyst )
• 61% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer rewards focused on access and personalization, like priority or exclusive access to the best rooms, seats or amenities ( Catalyst )
• 59% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer personalized gift recognizing significant dates, like the member’s birthday ( Catalyst )
• 1/3 of travel and hospitality brands that aren’t leading the industry in loyalty have no loyalty program at all, though 21% of those brands say they will have one in the future ( Catalyst )
• 2/3 of the travel and hospitality industry’s leading loyalty programs use personalization methods, while only 48% of the industry’s non-leading loyalty programs do ( Catalyst )
• 33% of Americans who won’t travel in 2022 say it’s because of possible travel restrictions, 25% because they are concerned about getting exposed to COVID-19 and 20% because enhanced safety precautions would make their trip less enjoyable ( Trip Advisor )
• 70% of Americans use an establishment’s cleanliness as an important factor in travel decision making ( Trip Advisor )
• 63% of American travelers would like to see safety measures at hospitality businesses continue even after COVID-19 cases have dropped worldwide ( Trip Advisor )
• 52% of American travelers believe it’s more important that they spend time researching their travel plans before booking than it was before the pandemic ( Trip Advisor )
• 17% of American travelers subscribe to a travel related paid subscription program, and an additional 23% would be open to joining in the future ( Trip Advisor )
• US travelers would be motivated to join a travel related subscription program with hotel or flight rate deals and special offers/discounts (36%), cash back rewards on travel bookings (36%), hotel perks and special offers like free breakfast, late check outs, etc. (32%) and travel insurance or free airline status upgrades (about 25%) ( Trip Advisor )
• Travelers’ biggest concerns that make them less likely to travel include: concern about others’ behavior (51%), a loved one’s health/safety (48%), concern about how COVID-19 is affecting society (47%), personal health/safety (47%), COVID-19 quarantine requirements (46%), personal financial situation (37%) and expectations to report in-person to job (29%) ( Morning Consult )
• to relax (56%)
• to spend time with friends and family (56%)
• to escape/get away (55%)
• to experience adventure (27%)
• to improve mental health (27%)
• to seek out cultural experiences (19%)
• to check a location off a bucket list (15%)
• to spend time on one’s own (14%
• to attend a specific event (13%
• to experience luxury (9%)
• to improve physical health (8%)
• International traveler’s reasons for leisure travel varied by reason. For example, more German travelers were motivated by relaxation (77%) and more French travelers were motivated by wanting to escape or get away (68%) ( Morning Consult )
• 74% of travelers say they will spend more time choosing a destination this year in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 66% of travelers say they will spend more time reading reviews about destinations in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 72% of travelers say they will spend more time selecting their accommodations in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 70% of travelers say they will spend more time finding things to do at their travel destination in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• Is reliable or dependable (85%)
• Has good customer service and is responsive to problems (84%)
• Protects customers’ data, privacy and security (83%)
• They have a good safety record (83%)
• They make me feel secure and safe (83%)
• Consistently delivers on what they promise (82%)
• Is a good value for the price (82%)
• Treats customers well , even in tough times (82%)
• They regularly clean and sanitize (81%)
• Has always treated me well (80%)
• They mistreat passengers’ luggage or personal possessions (86%)
• They have surprise fees (85%)
• You had a bad experience with them or their customer service (85%)
• They do not follow clear safety precautions (85%)
• They had a data breach and your personal information was compromised (85%)
• They are known for not being reliable (84%)
• They do not regularly clean or sanitize (84%)
• 35% of millennials say they have lost trust in a travel or hospitality brand and, as a result, will never use that brand again ( Morning Consult )
• Business travelers (61%) and wealthier Americans (57%) say if they trust a brand, they go out of their way to purchase from them. This is higher than the average among adult travelers (44%) ( Morning Consult )
• 8 of the 10 most trusted travel and hospitality brands are hotels or resorts, with only one airline on the list ( Morning Consult )
• Overall, travelers have a higher net trust in travel brands than they did before the pandemic ( Morning Consult )
• 65% of US adults say they would stop purchasing from a travel brand if it did not follow safety precautions, 62% would stop purchasing if a company failed to regularly clean ( Morning Consult )
• 47% of US adults say they tend to trust travel and hospitality companies by default, only losing trust if the company does something bad ( Morning Consult )
• 32% of US adults say travel and hospitality companies have to earn their trust ( Morning Consult )
• 57% of all US adults say trust is a major factor in deciding on travel brands. Trust is even more important to consumers who are members of airline and hotel rewards programs (64%) and business travelers (64%) ( Morning Consult )
• 85% to see my child excited about the experience
• 82% to relax/reduce stress
• 81% to make memories
• 78% for fun, excitement, and adventure
• 73% to see or do something new
• 72% to see more of the world
• 66% to strengthen relationship with a significant other
• 65% to strengthen bonds with family and friends
• 60% to improve outlook on life
• 55% to learn something new about a place, culture or history
• 40% to continue a family tradition
• 35% to cross off an item on bucket list
• U.S. travelers took 466.2 million domestic trips for business, and 1,779.7 million for leisure ( Statista ). That compares with 458.9 million domestic business trips ( Statista ) and 1,745.5 million domestic trips for leisure purposes ( Statista ) in 2016
• Nearly 74% of domestic trips are for leisure purposes ( US Travel Association )
• International arrivals to the U.S. totaled 79 million in 2019, about half of whom came from overseas ( US Travel Association )
• U.S. residents logged 1.9 billion person‑trips* for leisure purposes and 464.4 million person-trips* for business * Person-trip defined as one person on a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day or overnight trip to places 50 miles or more away from home ( US Travel Association )
• U.S. residents logged 463.9 million person‑trips (one person on a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day or overnight trip to places 50 miles or more away from home) for business purposes, with 38% for meetings and events ( US Travel Association )
• 42% of people travel to visit friends/relatives, 8% for outdoor recreation purposes, 13% for entertainment/sightseeing, 15% for other pleasure/personal reasons, 3% for conventions/conferences/seminars, 7% for general business purposes and 4% for other reasons  ( US Travel Association )
• 1,000,000 travel-related hashtags are searched weekly. ( Wex )
• 81% of travelers consider it very important for brands to provide personalized experiences to their customers ( Travolution )
• 84% of Millennials and 73% of non-Millennials are likely or very likely to plan a trip based on someone else’s vacation photos or social media updates. ( APM Agency )
• 37% of Millennials have had their holiday destination influenced by social media and 34% have booked a holiday because of content seen on social media. ( WeSwap )
• Leisure travelers ages 18–34 are 2.4x more likely than those ages 35 and over to discover travel destinations via mobile. ( Facebook )
• 89% of Millennials plan travel activities based on content posted by their peers online. ( Entrepreneur )
• 31% of Millennials said that posting holiday pics online is just as important as the holiday itself, and 29% wouldn't choose a holiday destination if they were not able to post on social media while there. ( WeSwap )
• 40% of travelers post activity/attraction reviews on social media after returning home. ( WebFX )
• 42% of Millennials stress about taking the perfect photo for social media during vacation ( Value Penguin )
• Top getaways travelers haven’t done before because they are too afraid, but would love to try include: volunteering trip (39%), gourmet adventure (38%), mystery trip (38%), sabbatical trip (36%), and an ancestry trip to find out about their heritage (36%) ( hospitalitynet )
• 57% of travelers in the U.S. would give up alcohol for a year for a free heritage trip ( Airbnb )
• 35% of travelers take vacations to try local delicacies ( Booking.com )
• 51% of people travel to recharge their batteries when they feel stressed, busy, and tired ( Intrepid Adventure Travel Index )
• 59% of solo travelers said the reason they travel alone is because they want to see more of the world and they’re not willing to wait for others ( Solo Traveler )
• 45% of solo travelers like the freedom to do what they want when they want while traveling ( Solo Traveler )
• 47% of millennials and 40% of generation Z travel to relax and avoid stress ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 55% of generation z travel to increase their knowledge ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 23% of millennials travel to meet other travelers ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 45% of millennials travel to learn more about themselves ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 56% of global travelers agree traveling has taught them invaluable life skills ( Booking.com )
• One in two (55%) travelers think the best thing about travel is getting out of their comfort zone ( hospitalitynet )
• 34% of younger millennials travel to find more excitement in life ( Expedia )
• One in five people plan to take health and well-being trips (Yoga and Meditation Retreats, Weight Loss and Fitness Retreats, etc.) in 2018, almost double the amount of people compared to 2017 ( Booking.com )
• 46% of families have taken their children on trips for family reunions ( NYU )
• 95% of family travelers said their priority was keeping their families entertained and happy ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 89% of family travelers said their priority was deals and value of the vacation ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 85% of family travelers said their priority was planning travel around school holidays ( Short Term Rentalz 2019
• 85% of families said their priority was was outdoor activities ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 ) 
• 85% of families said their priority was being near major attractions or theme parks ( Short Term Rentals 2019 )
• 49% of families said their main priority when they take a family vacation is to visit new places and explore together, 42% to relax and unwind together, and 6% to be active and outdoors together ( NYU )
• 45% of global travelers start their booking process by deciding on a specific destination ( Trip Advisor )
• 59% of pre-travel research takes place between one and three months before traveling ( Trip Advisor)  
• 86% of travelers use online resources when deciding on their accommodation ( Trip Advisor )
• 73% of travelers use online sources when deciding on their destination ( Trip Advisor )
• 77% of families said that “best value/price for our budget” was the most important factor when deciding where to stay on vacation ( NYU )
• 28% of Millennials trust social media about travel providers over magazines, television and Google and TripAdvisor reviews. ( WeSwap )
• 49% of travelers won’t book a hotel without reviews ( Statistic Brain )
• 25% of families had used a travel agent and 75% hadn't for their family vacations in the past five years ( NYU )
• 59% of families said travel websites (TripAdvisor, Expedia, etc.) were resources they used for information or inspirations for where to go and what to do, 10% said Instagram, 74% said search engines, 51% said travel review websites, 30% said social media, 12% said travel agents, and 8% said blogs  ( NYU )
• 58.2% of travelers used any user-generated content to help plan their leisure travel, 32.5% used reviews from hotel, 29.6% used travel reviews of destinations, 30.8% used reviews of restaurants or activities, 13.5% used travel itinerary or blogs, 33.3% used Facebook and 26.3% used group discount websites ( Destination Analysts )
• 56% of solo travelers said the top factor they look for in a destination is safety ( Travel Agent Central )
• More than 40% of business trips in the past year have included a leisure portion added on ( Expedia Media Solutions )
• 25% of Americans who travel for a business trip will extend the trip for personal travel ( AARP )
• 64% of Millennials prefer booking on travel websites for hotels, 47% prefer booking through specific hotel, resort and airline websites, and 24% prefer to book through travel agents ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 79% of travelers who use a smartphone complete a booking after researching on their smartphones ( Think With Google )
• 65% of hotel bookings were made on the same day as researching on a smartphone ( Statistic Brain )
• 33% of Americans would go on at least one additional summer road trip if gas prices remain low ( AAA )

Travel Activities: What People Do When They Travel

• Nostalgic getaways (88%)
• Blowing the budget (80%)
• Laid back luxe life (78%)
• Getting out of comfort zone (73%)
• Nightlife-centric vacations (72%)
• Adventure backpacking (70%)
• Wilderness survival (67%)
• 29% of travelers are planning a cruise in the next year ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 48% of travelers say they trust cruise companies ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 83% of travelers want to shop at small businesses when they travel to a new location ( American Express, 2023 )
• 88% of travelers believe that dining and shopping at local small businesses brings a more authentic experience ( American Express, 2023 )
• 81% of travelers most look forward to trying local foods while traveling ( American Express, 2023 )
• 37% of travelers planned an entire trip around visiting a specific restaurant and 35% have planned a trip around attending a food festival ( American Express, 2023 )
• 66% of travelers want their trips to be strictly work-free in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers want to visit a theme park in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 82% of travelers enjoy walking as their favorite activity to stay healthy while walking ( American Express, 2023 )
• 72% of travelers are more focused on self-care than they were a year ago ( American Express, 2023 )
• 57% of travelers plan to take an extended vacation to focus on wellness ( American Express, 2023 )
• 89% of people taking an incentive trip ranked ample time for relaxation as the most important quality of incentive travel ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 52% of credit card loyalty programs offer tours and activities redemption, 37% offer live events redemption, 19% offer dining redemption and 15% offer wellness redemption ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• Increased attendance at live events is the number one driver of increased business travel in 2023, followed by the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of their own offices ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 50% of travelers want to experience culture shock in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Half of leisure travelers are at least somewhat interested in taking a cruise in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• 41% of US travelers are seeking excitement/exhilaration on their next trip ( Expedia )
• 11% of travelers are willing to try daring or high-adrenaline activities ( Expedia )
• 24% of travelers are looking for an unforgettable night out ( Expedia )
• 21% of travelers are most excited to try experiences they would usually never do, like: sleeping under the stars (19%), travelling alone (17%), skinny-dipping (11%) or having a vacation romance (10%) ( Expedia )
• 61% of travelers are most interested in outdoor activities (like hiking, biking and kayaking) and wellness/relaxation experiences ( Evolve )
• Travelers over 40 are more likely to travel with a significant other or multiple generations of family. Travelers under 40 are more likely to travel with a group of friends or solo ( Evolve )
• Seeing new places (75%)
• Having new experiences (71%)
• Going out to restaurants/trying new food (69%)
• Meeting new people (35%)
• 34% of American travelers said it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they choose a destination where they can immerse themselves in “authentic local experiences” ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of American travelers said it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they pack as many activities into their vacation as possible ( Trip Advisor )
• 34% of American travelers will visit a beach in 2022, 13% will go on shopping trips, 18% will go camping or glamping, 12% are planning a foodie or wine tasting tour and 6% are planning a spa trip or wellness retreat ( Trip Advisor )
• About 20% of travelers worldwide plan to take more guided cultural activities than they did in previous years ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of American travelers are planning more self-guided cultural activities and 22% are planning more guided cultural activities than they did in previous years ( Trip Advisor )
• 45% of Americans said they’re looking to experience something new and unique on their next trip ( Trip Advisor )
• The top five trending experience categories Americans are booking for spring 2022 include: 4WD, ATV & off-road tours, day trips, cultural tours, snorkeling and wine tasting/winery tours ( Trip Advisor )
• When booking hotels, the top 3 amenities travelers searched for were: pool, bar/lounge and restaurant ( Trip Advisor )
• 44% of travelers are interested in road trips, 39% in beach trips and 30% in shopping trips ( Trip Advisor )
• 72% of travelers are excited to return to amusement parks after the pandemic, 68% to movie theaters, 67% to bars/clubs, 79% to concerts and 74% to sporting events ( Cardify )
• Top leisure travel activities for U.S. domestic travelers: (1) visiting relatives; (2) shopping; (3) visiting friends; (4) fine dining; and (5) rural sightseeing ( US Travel Association )
• 67% of high-income travelers said they would rather spend their vacation money on activities than a nicer hotel room ( Skift )
• Domestic travelers spent 17% of their budgets on recreation/amusement ( US Travel Association )
• 65% of travelers visited art/history museums, 59% aquariums, 56% science museums, 55% theme parks, and 55% zoos in 2017 ( MMGY Global )
• 34% of those who travel want to visit a world famous theme park ( Booking.com )
• 54% of travelers go shopping during their summer vacation, 49% visit historical sights, 49% go swimming or do water sports, 46% go to a park or national park, and 46% go on sightseeing tours ( Statistic Brain )
• 73% of travelers with children have taken their children to theme parks on vacation ( NYU )
• 21% of travelers who use social media for inspiration when researching trips are looking for info on attractions. ( WebFX )
• 11 million Americans take a cruise each year ( Value Penguin )
• Sunset cruise excursions have gone up by 89% in bookings since 2017 ( TripAdvisor )
• Snorkeling activities have gone up by 64% since last year ( TripAdvisor )
• Sailing trips have gone up by 55% within the last year ( TripAdvisor )
• Since 2017, catamaran cruises have gone up by 51% ( TripAdvisor )
• Kayaking and canoeing experiences have gone up by 49% since last year ( TripAdvisor )
• 33% of travelers will visit a spa or receive beauty treatments ( Booking.com )
• 15% of travelers will attend meditation/mindfulness retreats ( Booking.com )
• 73% of travelers aged 25-34, travel to see the top sights ( Solo Traveler )
• 50% of travelers aged 25-34, go to museums while on vacation ( Solo Traveler )
• Those who get tickets to watch athletic events while on vacation pay about $180 annually while those who play sports, like golf, while on vacation, spend about $640 per year ( Value Penguin )
• Average entertainment costs, if incurred by vacationing households: $640 for participant sports, $541 for movies and other admissions, $180 for tickets to sporting events, $250 for other recreation expenses and $250 for other entertainment services ( Value Penguin )
• Travel activities account for 8% of U.S. travel gross bookings and the segment comes in third by size behind hotels and flights ( Phocuswright )
• The U.S. travel activities market totaled $34 billion in 2018, and growth is outpacing the total travel market ( Phocuswright )
• More than three in four activities booked in-destination happened on the day of or day before the activity ( Phocuswright )
• Mobile searches for “things to do/activities” + “near me” have seen a 6X increase over the last two years. ( Think with Google )
• Searches for activities are happening across devices in the three months prior to a trip, but shift significantly to 54% mobile when travelers are in-destination ( Google )
• 35% of travelers have used mobile phones to book a tour or activity while already at a vacation destination ( Skift )
• Travelers tend to book expensive activities more in advance compared to cheaper activities ( Tour Scanner )
• 50% of activity bookings are made less than eight days before consumption. ( Tour Scanner )
• 85% of consumers use their phones to book travel activities, including restaurant reservations and sightseeing tours. ( MDG Advertising )
• It’s predicted that the overall tours and activities segment will grow to $183 billion ( Phocuswright )

• 77% of travel businesses operate a loyalty program ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 44% of consumers belong to a travel loyalty program ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 61% of female and 58% of male travelers now pay more attention to travel discounts offered through loyalty programs than they did before the pandemic ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Experts predict the number of people participating in incentive travel programs will increase by 48% in 2023 and 61% in 2024 ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 46% of all U.S. adults are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program, with millennials the most likely to be members (56%) ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 84% of high-income earners are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers plan to redeem points or rewards for travel in the next 6 months, of which 7% plan to redeem in the next month ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• Special discounted pricing (52%)
• Collecting points to redeem for future purchases (46%)
• Complimentary upgrades/add-ons (42%)
• Exclusive access to amenities and services (34%)
• Prioritized customer service (26%)
• 53% of travelers say it is more important now than it was before the pandemic to stay with providers where they are a loyalty member ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 48% plan to stay at a chain hotel
• 32% plan to stay with family and friends
• 28% plan to stay in a vacation rental
• 55% plan to travel with their own car
• 44% plan to travel by plane
• 21% plan to travel by bus
• 16% plan to travel by train
• Air travel demand in April 2023 rose 10% over April 2022, bringing it to equal April 2019, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Hotel stay demand in April 2023 rose 2% over April 2022, but is still 2% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Overseas arrivals into the U.S. in April 2023 dropped 27% from April 2022, and are still 27% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Globally, 35% of travelers plan to stay in 1- to 3-star hotels in 2023 ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Demand for vacation rental private homes in U.S. western destinations is up by more than 30% ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 43% of travelers say that saving money is what they value most from their loyalty programs ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 32% of loyalty program providers include travel awards as part of their earning and redemption options ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers believe their loyalty programs are helping them save money and get more value from travel experiences ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• Loyalty providers reported their top goals for 2023 as increasing membership (59%), boost engagement (59%), increase customer lifetime value (40%), increase participation and total spend through the loyalty program (39%) and introduce new rewards and earn/burn options (39%) ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 86% of loyalty programs with travel rewards have booking capabilities ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 29% of loyalty programs with travel booking capabilities describe their program as “state of the art” ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 25% of consumers dislike that they can’t book all travel options they want in one place with their loyalty program ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 24% of consumers have a hard time understanding their travel loyalty program’s earning and redemption rules ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 59% of consumers would engage more with their loyalty program if given deeper discounts, 31% if given more exclusive options, 25% if given a better booking experience and 40% if given a broader selection of rewards ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 81% of gen z like personalize ads, 57% of millennials do not prefer personalized ads ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 37% of consumers receive personalized recommendations via their loyalty program booking site ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 31% of consumers say they would likely use a buy now, pay later option if offered by their travel loyalty program, 27% would likely use price/fare freezing, 16% would use digital wallet acceptance and 5% would use cryptocurrency acceptance ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 36% of millennials and 44% of gen z would be more likely to book a trip through their loyalty program if the provider contributed a portion to sustainability causes ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 44% of consumers would be more likely to book sustainable travel options if given a bonus or incentive for doing so ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 31% of consumers want their travel rewards provider to add buy now, pay later options, with millennials and gen z being the most likely to want this at 53% ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 63% of loyalty providers believe they are their members’ first choice when booking travel ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers visit their loyalty program website first when booking travel ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 20% of travel loyalty program providers say user experience is their biggest challenge ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 92% of travel loyalty program providers believe they are delivering on their members’ needs, only 52% of members agree ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 84% of consumers got frustrated by user experience issues when booking travel through their loyalty program ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 40% of businesses are working to optimize their corporate travel policy to decrease environmental impact ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 54% of travelers plan to take more trips this year than in 2022 ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 63% of hotel bookings through the Hopper app in 2023 were made for same-day check-in ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 53.6% of travelers are taking more trips in 2023 than previous years, 32.7% are taking the same number of trips and 13.7% are taking fewer trips ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 45% of travelers have some level of travel flexibility because of remote work ( Hopper, 2023 )
• Because of work flexibility, 57% of travelers are traveling more frequently, 30% are traveling more during the school/work week, 26% are traveling for longer and 19% are working and traveling as a digital nomad ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 52% of travel professionals are making changes to their business due to negative customer reviews ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 96% of travel organizations say they offer refundable services or credits, while only 63% say they will continue providing these moving forward ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Only 8% of travel industry professionals say leisure travel is back to pre-pandemic levels, but 63% expect it to return in the next 2 years ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 46% of consumers say travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 79% of consumers plan to take a leisure trip in the next year ( Expedia, 2023 )
• US airlines are projecting 150% as many passengers to fly in 2022 as did in 2021 ( IATA )
• 3.4 billion passengers are projected to fly in 2022, up from 2.3 billion in 2021, but still down from 4.5 billion in 2019 ( IATA )
• In 2022 overall demand for flights is expected to reach 61% of pre-crisis (2019) levels. Capacity is expected to continue to increase faster than demand, reaching 67% of pre-crisis levels for 2022 ( IATA )
• In 2022, demand for domestic flights is expected to reach 93% of pre-crisis (2019) levels ( IATA )
• In 2022, demand for international flights is expected to reach 44% of pre-crisis (2019) levels ( IATA )
• Air travel in January 2022 (measured in RPKs) was up 82.3% compared to January 2021, but down 4.9% compared to the previous month (December 2021) ( IATA )
• January 2022 domestic air travel was up 41.3% compared to January 2021, but down 7.2% compared to December 2021 ( IATA )
• January international air travel was up 165.6% compared to January 2021, but down 2.2% compared to December 2021 ( IATA )
• Hotel demand in January 2022 was 9% below 2021 levels ( US Travel )
• Nearly 1 in 6 job openings in the US are in leisure and hospitality ( US Travel )
• Overseas arrivals fell to 65% below 2019 levels in January 2022 ( US Travel )
• Leisure & hospitality accounts for 61% of all jobs still lost since 2020, and is recovering more slowly than the rest of the economy ( US Travel )
• Of the 10.9 million job openings in the US at the beginning of 2022, roughly one in six, or 1.7 million, were in leisure & hospitality alone ( US Travel )
• 58% of tourism professionals predict a travel rebound in 2022 (mostly in the third quarter) and 42% predict the rebound won’t happen until 2023 ( UNWTO )
• 64% of tourism experts predict international arrivals will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 or later ( UNWTO )
• 2020 was the worst year on record for tourism and 2021 the second worst year on record ( UNWTO )
• clean/sanitize common areas (71%)
• clean/sanitize private customer areas (70%)
• publicly share info about COVID-19 protocols (55%)
• allow for physical distancing (49%)
• require employees to wear masks (48%)
• require customers to wear masks (41%)
• use tech to minimize interactions (39%)
• The most popular travel dates for spring 2022 are March 31, March 11 and then March 12 ( Trip Advisor )
• 77% of Americans say they’ll travel within the US between March and May 2022, and 23% plan to travel internationally ( Trip Advisor )
• 78% of US travelers intend to travel during 2022 ( Trip Advisor )
• By the end of 2021, 78% of Americans were ready to travel ( US Travel )
• By the end of 2021, 81% of global business travelers believed their 2022 domestic business travel volume could meet or exceed their pre-pandemic volume ( US Travel )
• There is a 1 in one million risk of an infected passenger transmitting COVID-19 to another passenger flying from the UK to the US ( US Travel )
• International travel restrictions resulted in the loss of more than 1 million American jobs and $150 billion in export income in 2021 ( US Travel )
• In March 2020, international visitations were down 96% compared to March 2019 as a result of pandemic lockdowns on travel ( US Travel )
• In the year 2020, international travel to the US fell by 76% compared to 2019 ( US Travel )
• Prior to the pandemic, direct travel jobs accounted for 6% of the workforce and total travel-supported jobs accounted for 11% ( US Travel )
• In 2020, direct travel jobs accounted for 35% of jobs lost and total travel supported jobs accounted for 65% of jobs lost ( US Travel )
• 62% of travel and hospitality companies offer email support, 46% have Twitter profiles. Only 12% of travel companies are responsive via both email and social support ( Netomi )
• From the travel and hospitality companies that offer support, 70% of emails and 46% of Twitter direct messages are never answered ( Netomi )
• When travel and hospitality companies offer customer support, 97% of email responses do not provide a meaningful answer in the initial email response and 72% of companies don’t provide a relevant response on social media ( Netomi )
• When travel and hospitality companies answer customer inquiries, 57% respond to emails within the first 3 hours, and 22% respond within the first 15 minutes on Twitter ( Netomi )
• Only 11% of travel and hospitality companies show empathy in email responses and 26% don’t show any empathy on social media support ( Netomi )
• The largest travel and hospitality companies (5,000+ employees) were the slowest responders on email, with an average response time of over 27 hours, but the quickest on Twitter, responding to social messages in 5.8 hours, on average ( Netomi )
• 65% of Americans are look forward to traveling again, both internationally and domestically, after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted ( Zapwater )
• 56% of those surveyed said they feel comfortable spending just as much on a trip as they would have before COVID-19 ( Zapwater )
• Post COVID travel priorities include: hotel safety protocols (76%) close proximity to home (23%) and the number of COVID-19 cases in a destination (63%) ( Zapwater )
• Once COID-19 restrictions are lifted, 61% of Americans will plan their first trip to visit family and friends ( Value Penguin )
• Once COID-19 restrictions are lifted, the first states Americans want to visit include Florida (13%), California (12%) and New York (8%) ( Value Penguin )
• 19% plan to spend less on travel due to financial impacts of COVID-19 restrictions, while 15% expect to spend more and 42% expect to spend the same as usual ( Value Penguin )
• 72% of Americans did not take a 2020 summer vacation due to COVID-19 concerns ( Value penguin )
• A third of Americans (50% of parent with children under 18) put off a milestone trip such as an anniversary or graduation celebration in 2020 ( Value penguin )
• In 2020, those with more money were more likely to take a summer vacation: 52% of households earning $100,000 or more, 36% of households earning $75,000 to $99,000 and only 15% of households earning less than $25,000 ( Value penguin )
• 31% of consumers (49% of parents with kids under 18) decided to take a summer staycation in 2020 ( Value penguin )
• 36% of working Americans who took no paid time off in the summer of 2020 reported it was because they had nowhere to travel to ( Value penguin )
• Most families own or lease the vehicles they use for road trips, but about 2% rent a car or truck on vacation and spend an average of $1,223 ( Value Penguin )
• Despite their cultural prominence, only 0.5% of Americans travel via RV (recreational vehicle) ( Value Penguin )
• Travel website cart abandonment rates are 81.6% which is higher than the overall average of 76.8%. ( SaleCycle )
• Booking abandonment rates on hotel websites are 78.3%, with the most common reasons around research and price comparison ( IMPACT )
• Only about 10% of Americans buy a plane ticket in a given quarter ( Value Penguin )
• The U.S. travel market grew 5% in 2018, with gains remaining steady in 2019; by 2022, total gross bookings will have increased to $441 billion ( Phocuswright )
• 66% of bookings were made through supplier websites/mobile apps, and 34% through OTAs ( Phocuswright )
• 90% of travelers now have apps to make their life easier when at their destination with maps, airlines, weather and social media ( Travelport )
• 55% of global travelers report being more determined to make sustainable travel choices than they were a year ago ( Booking.com )
• 73% of global travelers intend to stay at least once in an eco-friendly or green accommodation when looking at the year ahead ( Booking.com )
• 70% of global travelers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not ( Booking.com )
• More than 60% of travelers would consider an impulse trip based on a good hotel or flight deal ( Think With Google )
• Booking.com found that 80% of customers prefer mobile booking to get the information that they need ( TechRadar )
• For those going abroad, 31% have booked their 2019 trips by September of 2018 ( AARP )
• 72% of all mobile bookings made by travelers happened within a 48-hour window prior to booking ( Sojern )
• 38% of all mobile bookings are made on the same day or two days before a trip ( PhocusWright )
• 53% of all mobile bookings are made within a week of a trip ( PhocusWright )
• Only 19% of all mobile bookings are made more than a month in advance ( PhocusWright )
• 32% of solo travelers start planning 6 months before departure ( Solo Traveler )
• 33% of solo travelers start planning 3 months or less before departure ( Solo Traveler )
• 40% of global travelers choose to stay in eco-friendly places to help reduce environmental impact, 34% to have a locally relevant experience, and 33% to feel good about an accommodation choice ( Booking.com )
• Plane and car are preferred modes of transport for family travel, with 52% selecting their mode of transport by the fastest option, and 34% based on lowest cost ( Expedia Group )
• The primary mode of transportation for domestic and international travel are: plane (66% domestic & 87% international), cruises (5% domestic & 35% international), train (6% domestic & 16% international), rental car (24% domestic & 14% international), personal car (60% domestic & 13% international), and buses (2% domestic & 10% international) ( AARP )
• 6% of travelers end up paying for local transportation, like taxis, as part of their yearly vacation budget ( Value Penguin )
• About 6% of families travel by train, bus or ship on vacation ( Value Penguin )
• 61% of families stay in a hotel while on vacation with children and 22% stay in a resort ( NYU )
• 37% of travelers go on road trips on Independence Day, 29% on Memorial Day, and 27% on Labor Day ( Statistic Brain )
• Airbnb had 80 million bookings by guests in ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 26% of ages 18-34 used a train during their vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• 88% of travelers have already selected their domestic travel destination for 2019 ( AARP ) 
• More Millennial's than Baby Boomers will use all of their vacation time (77% versus 62%) ( AARP )
• There are 705 million total unused vacation days annually ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 52% of American employees have unused vacation time ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Americans took an average 17.2 vacations in 2017 ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 212 million vacation days get forfeited annually ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Millennial's are more likely to bring work with them on trips than Baby Boomers (78% versus 59%) ( AARP )
• 82% of millennials consider travel reviews important ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• The proportion of mobile bookings increased between 2017 and 2018, from 51.5% to 56.7% ( TrekkSoft )
• 51% of US travelers said that once they decided to go on a trip, they would spend less than one week researching flights ( Facebook IQ )
• 54% of family travelers prefer taking a plane for transportation to their destination and 47% prefer cars ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 60% of family travelers prefer hotels for accommodation, 21% prefer resorts, and 17% prefer to stay with family and friends ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• Hotels and flights are booked in advance of 12 weeks and within the 3 months prior to the trip date ( Google )
• 48% of experiences are booked once travelers arrive at their destination ( Google 2019 )
• Gen Alpha (those born after 2010) is showing more signs of influencing family travel decisions and planning ( Short Term Rentalz )
• On average globally, travelers with Gen Alphas are taking more than three family trips a year ( Expedia Group )
• Online will account for the lion’s share of travel sales at 52%, with mobile sales representing a quarter of all travel bookings ( Euromonitor International )
• International arrivals are expected to amount o 1.8 billion trips by 2024, and domestic tourism is expected to reach 19 billion ( Euromonitor International )
• 74% of consumers say experiencing things in the real world was a priority for them in 2019, with Baby Boomers being the most experiential and Gen Z being less so by 15% ( Euromonitor International )
• 43% of global consumers say they prioritize experiences over things, while 78% value real world experiences in 2019 ( Euromonitor International )
• Where the average employee is taking 17.2 days of vacation, 47% of that time - just eight days - is used for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 23% of employees said they used none of their time off to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 84% of employees say it is important to them they use their time off to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• The average Millennial takes 14.5 days off, 7.1 of which are used to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Gen X uses 17.9 of their days off and dedicates 8.2 of those for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Boomers take the most days off work at 19.8 and spend 9 days on travel vacations ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 48% of Americans don’t use a majority of their vacation time for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Mega-travelers are happier with how they spend their paid time off compared to homebodies (76% to 48%) ( U.S. Travel Association )
• When it comes to happiness with physical health and well-being, there is a 22% gap (61% to 39%) between mega-travelers and homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 4 in 10 Americans fear flying, and 16% avoid it together ( Value Penguin )
• 59% of mega-travelers report being happy with their company, compared to 46% of homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 57% of mega-travelers reported being happy with their job compared to 46% of homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 52% of mega-travelers reported receiving a promotion in the last two years compared with 44% of Americans who use some or little to none of their time to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )

Got Travelers of Your Own?

We at Access Development know a thing or two about wholesale travel benefits and the white-label travel platforms used to increase member engagement. Contact us and learn about our private travel network for groups and organizations. Whether it's deep discounts or cash-back travel rewards of up to 50% on hotel bookings, car rentals, theme park tickets and more, Access has the platform you need to offer your travelers unparalleled worldwide value. 

Topics: Customer Engagement , Customer Incentives , Member Benefits , Travel , value enhancement , travel club incentives , tourism statistics , vacation statistics , business travel statistics , travel statistics

Written by: Andrew Graft

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What are you looking for?

83+ millennial travel statistics [latest 2024 figures].

Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials today make up about 23% of the global population .

There are approximately 1.8 billion millennials in the world .

As the largest adult cohort alive today, millennials or Gen Y inevitably make up a significant proportion of the travel industry.

But did you know that in 2016, millennials who travelled as a family spent $50.4 billion in total?

And where do millennials like to travel?

Below we’ve gathered some of the most interesting millennials travel trends and statistics for you.

Let’s jump right in!

Sources : You’ll notice the source of each statistics directly under it, but you can head over to the end of this blog post for the complete list of resources and articles used.

Travellerspoint

What generation spends the most on travel?

Baby boomers tend to spend the most on travel.

According to a survey in June 2018, younger millennials had planned to spend $4,558 on travel in the next 12 months. This is lower than the number for both baby boomers ($6,691) and Gen Xers ($5,400).

Are millennials more likely to travel?

Yes. The average millennial travels 35 days per year, much more than Gen X (26 days), baby boomers (27 days), and Gen Z (29 days).

What are the travel characteristics of millennials?

In general, millennial travellers tend to be motivated by novelty, new experiences, and off-the-beaten path destinations. They are open-minded travellers who love creating unique itineraries and travel independently.

Millennials are also very interested in immersing in the local culture as well as giving back to the local community.

Finally, technology and social media plays an important part in a millennial’s travel lifestyle. 67% of millennials visit online website daily as they travel, while 55% post their vacation photos every day on social media while travelling.

Millennials Travel Statistics: Quick Look

• In June 2018, younger millennials in particular anticipated taking an average of 3.7 vacations in the next 12 months.
• 68% of millennials said they would consider splurging on a huge trip in 2022.
• Nearly 7 in 10 millennials (67%) say that they’d like to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022.
• The number one destination that millennials want to visit if they could travel anywhere worldwide is France.
• In a 2022 survey, 1 in 4 travellers said they were planning to travel alone in the next 6 months, with millennials and Gen Z most likely to travel solo.
• The top activity among millennial travellers is sightseeing, with 88% reporting to enjoy it during vacation.
• 77% of millennials use text message daily while travelling.
• 55% of millennials also take travel photos and post them on social media every day.
• Compared to baby boomers, millennials are more likely (71%) to make more or the same amount of travel plans in 2022 than pre-pandemic.
• For 77% of millennials, the Covid-19 vaccine made travel feel safer and more comfortable in 2022.

Millennials Travel: Frequency and Habit

How often do millennials travel?

1. In 2018, the average millennial expected to take more than 4 domestic leisure trips within that year.

Compared to Gen X travellers and baby boomers, Millennials anticipated taking the most trips (both internationally and domestically) within the 2018 period.

2. In June 2018, younger millennials in particular anticipated taking an average of 3.7 vacations in the next 12 months.

3. american millennials are reported to travel an average of 35 days per year, significantly more than other generations..

Meanwhile, the average travel days for other generations in the US are 26 for Gen X, 27 for baby boomers , and 29 for Gen Z.

4. A 2022 outlook by Expedia indicated that 49% of millennials expect to travel internationally within the next six months.

They are the generation that anticipates the most international travel within that year.

5. The average US traveller wanted to travel 6% more in 2017, but millennial families intended to travel significantly more, at 35%.

[Resonance]

In 2017, millennial families in the US said they wanted to travel 35% more that year.

6. About 44% of all digital nomads in the United States are millennials, making them the generation most likely to adopt the lifestyle.

[MBO Partners]

In the US, millennials make up 44% of the digital nomad population . They’re followed by Gen X (23%), Gen Z (21%), and baby boomers (12%).

Millennials Travel Spending

How much do millennials spend on travel?

7. According to a survey in June 2018, younger millennials had planned to spend $4,558 on travel in the next 12 months.

This is lower than the number for both baby boomers ($6,691) and Gen Xers ($5,400).

8. 68% of millennials said they would consider splurging on a huge trip in 2022.

[Hospitality Trends]

This is less than 72% of Gen-Zers, but more than 60% of Gen-Xers and just over half of baby boomers (51%).

9. The majority of millennials agree that cost of travel is twice as important as other factors that affect travel plans.

10. by 2030, millennials are expected to have an annual income of more than $4 trillion altogether..

[WorldData]

11. Millennial consumer spending over the next 10 years will be powered especially by Asia. In particular, the lower middle classes from India, Indonesia, and China, with a market share worth $20 trillion.

This significant increase in spending power will positively impact the travel and tourism industry, especially as millennials travel more.

12. In 2016, millennials who travelled as a family spent $50.4 billion during that year alone.

Millennials top travel destinations.

Where do millennials travel?

13. In 2015, millennials made a total of 3.8 million trips, 18 million nights and £1.269 billion in Scotland alone.

[VisitScotland]

The millennial market contributed £1.269 billion to tourism in Scotland in 2015. 

14. Nearly 7 in 10 millennials (67%) say that they’d like to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022.

15. the number one destination that millennials want to visit if they could travel anywhere worldwide is france..

In 2022, when Gen Z and millennials were asked where they’d go if they could travel anywhere in the world, the number one answer was France . The most common reason for this choices is that millennials think it’s “beatiful” and wanted to visit the City of Love, or Paris .

16. Hawaii, Japan, the Caribbean, and Florida rounds the top 5 places that Gen Z and millennials most wanted to travel to.

17. The UK falls as the top 7th most sought-after destination among Gen Z and millennials, while Ireland take the 10th spot.

The UK is the 7th most popular travel destination among Gen Z and millennials, whereas Ireland rounds up the top 10 ranking .

18. Meanwhile, a different report from Independent stated that Bora Bora was the most tending destination for millennials in 2019.

[Independent]

The interest in Bora Bora as a travel destination rose by 24% compared to 2018, as predicted and analyzed by the mobile app Hopper.

19. Saint Martin was the second most trending millennial destination in 2019, with interest increasing by 21% from 2018.

20. on the other hand, some destinations also trended down between 2018 and 2019, with frankfurt experiencing 17% decline in popularity., 21. according to the hopper app, interest in managua, nicaragua fell by 16%., 22. toronto, canada also lost a bit of interest among millennial travellers (12% down from 2018)..

Despite being one of the best places to visit in Canada , the millennial travel interest in Toronto still experienced a slight drop in 2019.

Millennials Travel Motivation

Why do millennials love travelling so much?

23. For 78% of younger millennials, the main motivation for travel is relaxation.

24. millennials are also very motivated to experience new destinations and explore off-the-beaten path areas when they travel., 25. a survey in 2022 showed that the travel purpose for most millennials is to see family and friends..

This reason consistently ranks as number one across all generations, including Gen Z, Gen X, and baby boomers.

26. The second most popular reason for leisure travel among millennials in 2022 was mental health boost, followed by visiting new U.S. cities, international trips, cheap deals, and fulfilling bucket list items.

27. roughly 8 in 10 gen z and millennial travellers in the us are looking for a new and unique experience for their next travel., 28. 85% of millennials want to travel to places where they can immerse in the local culture..

This is a higher percentage compared to other generations, with the average being 81%.

29. 83% of millennial travellers also say that they wish for their money to go back to the local community.

This shows an awareness among millennials who travel towards the local community and environment.

30. Similarly, 83% of millennials want to be more purposeful in planning their trip and choosing which companies to book with.

Millennials travel statistics: solo, friends & family travel.

Do millennials travel with friends or alone?

31. In a 2022 survey, 1 in 4 travellers said they were planning to travel alone in the next 6 months, with millennials and Gen Z most likely to travel solo.

[SoloTravelerWorld]

About 25% of all travellers are planning to travel alone . This shows the rising popularity of solo travel not only among millennials, but also other generations.

32. 58% of millennials around the world also say that they are willing to travel alone, much higher than 47% of the older generations.

33. moreover, 26% of millennial women have taken a trip alone. 27% of these women have never travelled solo but are willing to consider it..

Solo travel is becoming more and more common among female travellers, with 26% of millennial women having travelled alone .

34. Almost half (49%) of millennials say that they’re willing to visit their bucket-list destination alone.

35. more than half (58%) of amercan millennials who travelled overnight in 2017 have kids under the age of 18..

It shows that millennials continue to travel even once children enter the picture.

36. In the next two years, almost half of millennial travellers plan to take a family vacation.

37. 41% millennials who travel with children visit beach resorts..

The most popular type of destination for millennials travelling with their family and kids is beach resorts (41%) .

38. The second most popular trip type for millennials with kids is (36%) major metropolitan cities.

39. 1 in every 4 millennial families go on an international vacation..

Millennials with children go on more international trips than other generations.

40. For millennials travelling with kids, they rely on online reviews (37%) and social media posts of friends and family (29%) to pick a destination.

41. out of millennials who travel with their children, 62% do so with kids that are five years old or younger., 42. in 2016, millennial families made up around 16% of all active travellers in the us., accommodation in millennial travel.

Where do millennials like to stay when travelling?

43. In 2021, 40% of campers in North America was reported to be Millennials.

A report identified that Millennials make up the largest proportion of campers in North America, making up 40% of total campers in the region.

Campers include people travelling and living in an RV.

44. A survey in 2018 revealed that 42% of the millennials who had travelled overnight in the last 12 months prefer to stay with friends or family.

Staying with friends or family is the most preferred accommodation type for millennial travellers, as stated by 42% of the respondents.

45. 43% of younger millennials (21-29 year olds) have used shared accommodation while travelling.

46. among those who haven’t used shared accommodation while on vacation, the main reason for 70% of them was because they didn’t want to share accommodation with strangers., 47. more than half of millennials (51%) consider free internet and wi-fi as the most desirable amenity in a hotel., 48. in 2018, the majority of millennials (53%) still preferred traditional hotels and resorts as their top accommodation choice..

The hotel industry doesn’t have to worry about declining number of guests, despite the rising popularity of private rentals and alternative accommodations. 53% of millennials choose full-service hotels as their top choice when travelling.

49. 35% of millennial travellers prefer luxury hotels and resorts (35%).

50. camping makes it as the top 5 preferred accommodation (33%) for millennials. , 51. other travel accommodations popular among millennials include house/vilal rentals (32%), cruise ships, (29%), b&bs (23%), and apartment rentals (23%)..

Millennials Travel Trends

What do millennials look for in travel?

52. The top activity among millennial travellers is sightseeing, with 88% reporting to enjoy it during vacation.

53. eran ketter’s 2020 research found that millennials drive four key trends in tourism, including creative tourism, off-the-beaten-track tourism; alternative accommodation, and fully digital tourism..

[Eran Ketter]

54. Millennials tend to be open-minded travellers who prefer creating their own unique experiences and travel independently.

55. the millennial generation is constantly in search of novelty, a different lifestyle, and new experiences when they travel., 56. millennials tend to be open-minded travellers who prefer creating their own unique experiences and travel independently., 57. although millennials tend to care more about sustainability in travel compared to their older generations, only 48% of millennial travellers are willing to pay more for a travel service provider that is eco-conscious..

[Telus International]

Millennials are surpassed by Gen Z in this regard, as more of their cohort (54%) are willing to pay higher rates for environmentally responsible travel companies.

Millennials Travel Booking and Planning

How do millennials book travel?

58. More than half (53%) of millennials book their travel with an online travel agency. 

In general, 53% of millennials make use of OTAs to book their travels.

59. The most popular method for booking among millennial travellers is thorugh a travel website, with 64% using it.

60. a survey in june 2018 revealed that when searching for vacation ideas, 56% of millennials get information from their friends or family..

This shows that despite the growing influence of the Internet for travel planning, word of mouth among friends and family is still a powerful tool that will affect a millennial’s travel plan.

61. As of July 2018, 72.1% of millennials would use user-generated content when planning their trips.

62. the second most popular travel planning method among millennials is social media, which is used by 66.9% of the respondents., 63. millennials are least like to refer to destination marketing organization (dmo) website for travel planning., 64. 62% of younger millennials visit google regularly to get travel information..

Google is also the top visited website for travel information among older millennials.

65. The most important factor when choosing a travel destination for millennials is safety, with 57% agreeing to the statement.

66. millennials are less likely to book trips a month or less in advance (58%), compared to 64% of baby boomers..

This slight difference is likely because millennials tend to have more inflexible work commitments, whereas many baby boomers might already be in retirement.

67. Half of millennial travellers discover a new travel company through research on their phone.

[ThinkWithGoogle]

68. More than half of millennials (55%) admit to spending more time planning vacations than planning their retirement.

This statistic shows just how much importance millennials put on travel and vacation days.

69. 55% of millennials have loyalty points accumulated during the pandemic, which many say will be used to fund their travels.

This proportion is lower than Gen Z (61%) but still higher than the older generations, Gen X (33%) and baby boomers (23%).

Social Media and Travel Among Millennials

What percentage of millennials post on social media while travelling?

70. According to 45% of millennials, Booking.com is the online travel brand with the best social media presence.

45% of millennials in a 2021 survey believed that Booking.com has the best social media presence out of all other online travel brands.

This is followed by Airbnb, with 30% of respondents thinking they have the most excellent presence on social media.

71. 16% of millennial respondents said that online peer reviews and ratings are the most influential travel media channel when it comes to picking a holiday destination.

72. technology is an integral part of travel for millennials, as 67% say that they visit online websites every day to research things to do as they travel., 73. 77% of millennials use text message daily while travelling..

This statistic may not be surprising as the average millennial spends 3 hours and 45 minutes on the internet daily.

74. Meanwhile, 55% of millennials also take travel photos and post them on social media every day.

These actions help millennials stay connected to their social networks back home, even while travelling.

75. Social media also plays a huge role in the millennial’s everyday life, with 58% of Chinese millennials putting importance in social validation.

[SiteMinder]

According to the survey, they feel that comments left on their vacation photos are important to them.

76. 40% of millennials admit that their travel booking decisions are influenced by hotel and travel photos in their news and social media feeds.

77. 2 in 5 millennial travellers also say that they want to create an ideal version of themselves and their trips on social media., 78. google searches for “flight hacks for cheap flights” and “travel hack flights” rose by 450% and 200%, respectively, between 2021 and 2022..

The travel report suggests that millennials are huge drivers behind these searches, mainly for the fairly new and modern terms “flight hacks” and “travel hacks”.

Coronavirus Impact on Millennial Travel

How did the Coronavirus pandemic affect millennial travel?

79. A survey in 2022 revealed that 64% of Gen Z and millennials considered travel to be more important to them today than it was before the pandemic.

Following the pandemic, 64% of Gen Z and millennials combined are now considering travel to be more important to them now.

80. Compared to baby boomers, millennials are more likely (71%) to make more or the same amount of travel plans in 2022 than pre-pandemic.

81. 20% of millennials claimed that their leisure travelling habits had not changed between 2020 and 2021., 82. for 77% of millennials, the covid-19 vaccine made travel feel safer and more comfortable in 2022., 83. meanwhile, just 35% of millennials said that covid-19 might keep them from traveling in 2022..

84. In 2022, the biggest Coronavirus-related concern for millennial travellers was infection.

This was followed by large crowds, getting stranded, cancellations, and people not using masks.

That’s a wrap for our 80+ stats about millennial travel.

Undoubtedly, millennial travellers make up a huge proportion of the industry.

So whether you’re a millennial who loves travelling or a business owner looking to understand your potential market, we hope this post has been helpful.

Can you think of anything else we missed about millennial travel trends?

Drop us a comment below!

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Global tourism industry - statistics & facts

What are the leading global tourism destinations, digitalization of the global tourism industry, how important is sustainable tourism, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023

Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022

Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033

Further recommended statistics

• Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Global business travel spending 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033

Total contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide in 2019 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033 (in trillion U.S. dollars)

Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033

Share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP worldwide in 2019 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in leading travel markets worldwide in 2019 and 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leisure tourism spending worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Global business travel spending 2001-2022

Expenditure of business tourists worldwide from 2001 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 2005 to 2023, by region (in millions)

Number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide from 2019 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033 (in millions)

• Premium Statistic Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
• Premium Statistic Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
• Basic Statistic Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
• Premium Statistic Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022

Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023

Market size of the hotel and resort industry worldwide from 2013 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 (in trillion U.S. dollars)

Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value

Leading hotel brands based on brand value worldwide in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties

Leading hotel companies worldwide as of June 2023, by number of properties

Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024

Number of hotels opened worldwide from 2021 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024

Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024

Number of hotel rooms opened worldwide from 2021 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024

Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022

Countries with the highest number of hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide as of Q4 2022

• Premium Statistic Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027
• Premium Statistic Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022

Leading airports for international air passenger traffic in 2022 (in million international passengers)

Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023

Market value of selected airlines worldwide as of May 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027

Worldwide number of passenger rail users from 2017 to 2022, with a forecast through 2027 (in billion users)

Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023

Number of daily passengers using bus rapid transit (BRT) systems as of April 2023, by region

Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028

Number of users of car rentals worldwide from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)

Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023

Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023 (in million)

Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Transport-related emissions from international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2005 and 2016, with a forecast for 2030, by mode of transport (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)

Attractions

• Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022

Most visited museums worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in millions)

Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022

Leading amusement and theme parks worldwide from 2019 to 2022, by attendance (in millions)

Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type

Number of monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list as of September 2023, by type

Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Number of Michelin-starred restaurants in selected countries and territories worldwide as of July 2023

Online travel market

• Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028

Online travel market size worldwide from 2017 to 2023, with a forecast until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023

Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023

Number of aggregated downloads of selected leading online travel agency apps worldwide in 2023 (in millions)

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to revenue (EV/Revenue) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Selected trends

• Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023
• Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
• Premium Statistic Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022

Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023

Share of travelers that believe sustainable travel is important worldwide in 2023

Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region

Main sustainable initiatives travelers are willing to adopt worldwide in 2022, by region

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023

Nights and experiences booked with Airbnb from 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022

Technologies hotels are most likely to implement in the next three years worldwide as of 2022

Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022

Must-have hotel technologies to create a more amazing stay in the future among travelers worldwide as of 2022

• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment

Revenue of the global travel and tourism market from 2019 to 2028, by segment (in billion U.S. dollars)

Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2018 to 2028

Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast until 2025, by region

Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast until 2025, by region

Further reports

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Solo Traveler

Solo travel tips, destinations, stories... the source for those who travel alone.

Solo Travel Statistics, Data 2023 – 2024: Historical Trends, Sources Cited

What's the latest data on the solo travel market? The trend of solo travel continues with year over year growth in the double digits. The trend of company's catering to this market started around 2009 with companies dropping the prohibitive single supplement to fill tours during tough economic times. See more below under the heading of Latest Sources of Solo Travel Statistics and Trends.

2,337 responded to the Solo Traveler's 2023 Reader Survey giving the travel industry current solo travel statistics and data. This is the 11th annual survey and is just one way in which we gather information on this important market niche. We also monitor the copious amount of travel research that is conducted every year to extract solo travel statistics and maintain a list of sources which you'll see below.

Travel industry data looks at solo travelers within the context of all travelers. Our reader survey targets solo travelers specifically, providing a better understanding of the solo travel market. This year our survey was held thanks to the support of Overseas Adventure Travel .

One of the reasons we are so diligent about gathering data on the solo travel market is that Simon , of our team, works with clients who are eager to serve solo travelers well. If you are such a company, you may also be interested in the following pages:

• Reach the Solo Travel Market  explains how we work with the travel industry.
• Our core advertising program for tour and cruise companies includes the Deals  page, the searchable trips page and our Solo Travel Advisory of Deals that is emailed to over 60,000+ subscribers twice a month.
• The blog with over 600 articles for solo travelers.

Table of Contents

Travel Solo Statistics: Demographics

As you can see above, according to Google Analytics data for Solo Traveler, 12% more women read our publication than men. This is a reasonable indicator of the gender split of those who travel solo and reflects most reporting on the subject.

However, there are some sources, like our annual reader survey, that skews results due to who responds to surveys. Our survey respondents were older and more female than our actual readership.

Why, How, Where & What Solo Travelers Spend

The Solo Traveler Reader Survey included 26 questions. The respondents were primarily women, American, and over 55 years of age. Below we show the results from a number of the questions. A few details of interest in the 2023 survey:

• Solo travelers are spending more on travel than in 2022.
• For the first time in years, the United States was the number 2 destination for solo travelers' next destination.
• Even more people than in previous years indicated that they take tours at least some of the time.
• More people identified adventure/nature as their travel style as opposed to urban.
• More than half of respondents plan to take two or more trips in 2024.
• More than half of respondents plan to take trips of 2 to 3 weeks or more in 2024.

Latest Sources of Solo Travel Statistics and Trends

In the section, you will find more data on solo travelers from organizations we trust. We do not publish the results of surveys and analysis that we think has been poorly designed. As we find new research we add to it with the most recent appearing at the top of the list.

• Travel Predictions 2024 from Booking.com (March 2024) “…solo travel is also booming, with 59% looking to venture alone. Even parents are joining the trend, with 58% planning child-free trips, prioritising self-growth. Men, in particular, are embracing solo travel (63% compared to 54% of women). Source
• From personalization to solo travel: Globus reveals its 2024 tour trends (January 2024) More than one-fourth of travellers (27%) said they plan to go solo on their next trip – that’s double previous years. Source
• Married Yet Solo: More Women Are Traveling Without Their Plus-Ones (December 2023). Skift reports on a number of sources identifying solo travel as a major trend. Source
• The Solo Travel Market Report (October 2023). For many years now, the solo travel market has grown significantly year over year, being frequently cited as one of the years major trends. “The Solo Travel Service Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 – 2030.” Source
• Skyscanner data indicates 54% are considering going solo this year. (2023)”Travel search engine  Kayak’s data  shows searches for single-traveler flights are 36 percent higher for 2023 travel than in 2022. While a  survey by Skyscanner , a Kayak rival, indicates one in two travelers (54 percent) are considering escaping solo in 2023, with 65 percent choosing to go their own way because family and friends don’t share their travel interests.” Source
• Over a Third of Brits Prefer to Travel Solo (2023) Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) commissioned research that revealed that over a third of Brits prefer to travel solo. According to the research, over one in three travelers (37 percent) claim they prefer to go it alone, and three in ten (31 percent) have already booked a solo holiday for 2023. Source
• Why more of us are travelling solo . (2022) Google searches for solo travel since April 2020 quadrupled to a new high this month, with demand evident across all age groups. Not only millennial backpackers but solo travellers of all ages joining small tour groups, forcing the travel industry to think differently about this fast growing travel trend. Source
• Post-pandemic travel is going solo . (2022) Statistics from every corner point to a rise in demand for solo trips. Data from Booking.com shows that pre-pandemic, only 14% of travelers were going solo, but by mid-2021 that number had almost doubled to 23%, while Google trend data showed that solo travel had risen by a massive 761.15%. Source
• More Travelers Are Going Solo in 2022 According to new research from MMGY, one in four travelers plans to travel solo in the next six months with Gen-Z and Millennials leading the way. Source
• Solo Travel Service Market Overview and Market Forecast 2028 . (2022) Global Solo Travel Service Market Report is a systematically conducted exhaustive study of the worldwide Solo Travel Service industry. As per the study, the market is expected to acquire notable returns and showcase a healthy growth rate during the forecast period. Source
• Solo travel dominant global leisure market. (2022) Solo segment is anticipated to dominate the global leisure travel market due to various factors such as social media influence, different preferences and interests, psychographic traits. Source
• Solo travelers and group tours (2021) Solo travelers “are joining guided tours at unprecedented rates, say tour organizers, with some companies reporting single bookings up 300 percent over those from couples, families or clusters of friends.” Source
• Booking.com data pre-pandemic (2021) saw only 14% of travelers were planning a trip on their own, whilst nearly double (23%) now say they will be planning a solo trip in the future. Source
• According to Google trend data , (2021) Solo travel is up by 761.15%. Many are now “biting the bullet” and seeking solo travel opportunities to promote their wellbeing and try new experiences. Source
• Post-Covid: Solo travel is the second-most popular category for post-lockdown trips, says Cox & Kings . (2020) A discussion about the solo market between Sue Livsey, senior manager – commercial at Cox & Kings, Sarah Weetman, head of trade sales at Just You, and Claire Brighton, account director for the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers. Source
• Klook concludes that solo travel continues to present promising business opportunities (2020) “We commissioned a global Solo Travel Survey last October … Of the nearly 21,000 people we surveyed around the globe, 76% indicated that they have either traveled alone already or are considering it – regardless of age, gender and nationality.” Source
• Women continue to travel solo more than men (2020) “47% of travelers with Overseas Adventure Travel are registered as ‘solo'. An astounding 85% of these solo travelers are women.”  Source
• Searches for “Solo Women Travel” surge in 2019. “Google searches for ‘solo women travel’ increased by 32% in 2017 and 59% in 2018. The search grew to a jaw-dropping 230% increase in 2019. Source
• Pinterest sees massive growth in interest for solo female travel. “Pinterest has also reported a 350% increase in women pinning articles in ‘solo female travel’.” Source
• Solo travel as a global trend continues to grow.  (2019) “Making up around 18% of global bookings, solo travel is becoming ever more popular and has increased by 7% in the last year alone. Solo travelers typically take longer trips than the other traveler personas at approximately 19 days on average.”  Source
• Gen Z and solo travel . (2019) “…a third say they actually prefer to be alone when traveling and almost 20% say they want to take a solo backpacking trip or gap year.” Source
• Solo travel #1 trend for 2019 according to Klook.  (2018) Solo travel, pop culture influence and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) effect are among the six driving factors in tours and activities for next year, reveals Hong Kong-based leading travel activities and services booking platform Source .
• 52% of solo travellers say they'd be interested in an escorted holiday . (2018) Mintel’s 2018 Solo Traveller Report revealed that 17% of adults took a holiday on their own in the last five years – a year-on-year rise of two percentage points. The majority of these, 15%, were ‘pure solo’ travellers, not travelling with a group. The study found 60% of respondents said there is a “widespread belief” the travel industry does not cater well enough for solo travellers and that 52% of solo travellers were interested in taking an escorted tour.  Source
• Adventure Travel Trade Association 2018 trends report highlights solo travel (2018) The 20 Adventure Trends to Watch in 2018, indicate solo travel is on the rise. One of their members report that over 80% of their millennial travelers are going solo. Source
• In 2018, 70% of passengers on Intrepid Travel’s US trips travelled on their own . Source
• 2017 Princeton Survey Research Associates study revealed that 58 per cent of millennials worldwide are willing to travel alone, compared to 47 per cent of older generations. The study found 26 percent of millennial women have already travelled solo, while a further 27 percent said they haven't but would consider holidaying by themselves. Source
• Searches for “solo female travel” grew by 52% between 2016 and 2017 . This report not only looks at the trend of solo female travel but also the purchasing power of women. Source
• Travel solo for relaxation . Agoda's ‘Solo Travel Trends 2018' survey, conducted by YouGov, found that relaxation and time to unwind is the number one motivator for solo leisure travel globally (61%), which compares to 48% when traveling with friends. Source
• Tour companies find that the majority of their female travelers are going solo . VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations says that 68 percent of their female travelers in 2016 took a trip without a companion, while Country Walkers says 87 percent of its female participants were single (that’s about 3.3 single women to every male traveler).  Source
• 38% of those who have traveled solo will do so again. Among the top five trips that people have already been on and would like to go on again, as they allow them to experience travel to the fullest solo trip (34%). Source
• Surge in baby boomers traveling solo . A study by Booking.com of 20,500 global travelers that was released in May of 2018 found that there “is also a surge in solo travel … with two fifths (40%) of global Baby Boomers having taken a solo trip in the last year, and a further fifth (21%) planning to take one in the future.”  Source
• Solo is a top trip they'd do again. Again from the Booking.com study, 34% or respondents said that solo travel is among the “top five trips that they have already been on and would like to go on again”.   Source
• Roughly one in four people say they will travel solo in the next year (2018) — and that’s on the rise, according to a survey of 2,300 people by marketing firm MMGY Global. Source
• Between January 1 2015 and December 2017, the number of searches on Google for solo travel  has risen significantly. The graph indicates approximately a 40% increase in searches for solo travel. Source

• 17% indicated that they would try solo travel for the first time in 2016 according to a survey of more than 44,000 travelers by online travel company TripAdvisor. Source
• The popularity of guided tours among solo travelers grew from 21% to 46% between 2013 and 2015. Source
• Between 2013 and 2015 the percentage of people polled who travel on their own grew from 15% to 24% according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015. Source
• 72 percent of American women are taking solo journeys
• American women ranked first in frequent solo travel, and are most likely to take three trips or more in a given year.
• 65% of US women polled have vacationed without a partner. Source

Related research on the solo travel market.

• The current western proportions of single-person households (e.g. 31 percent in the UK, 24% in California) are wholly unprecedented historically. Source
• Single-person households in the United States are set to grow steadily over the next 15 years… Source
• Booking.com research found that Australia is the number one international destination for solo travel .  Source
• Travel Agent anecdotal data on selling solo travel. “…solo clients are usually around 41 to 47 years old, have an income in the $150,000 range…  Also, about 85 percent are women.”  Source .
• Women are the ones booking tours and activities 67% of the time Source

Solo Travel Demographics from 2019 Survey

Our 2018 readers survey received 1,340 responses. As you can see below, the results show slightly different demographic information than that of the Solo Travel Society Facebook page with its 162,000+ fans. Combining this with data given from Google Analytics I can safely say that the majority of our readers fall into either the Millennial or Boomer categories and there are more women than men. I usually estimate the gender split as 75% women and 25% men.

Solo Travelers' Travel and Spending Habits – 2018 Survey Results

In 2018 the number of subscribers to Solo Traveler's newsletter grew from 35,000 to 46,000 which is up from 25,500 at the beginning of 2017. That's an 80% increase over two years. Yes, the solo travel market is growing. Many of our subscribers completed our 2018 reader survey. Below is a breakdown by age range of a variety of solo travel statistics we gathered from that survey. Here are a few takeaways:

• Solo travelers are highly educated.   50% of respondents indicated that they have a university or college degree or diploma and 35% have post-graduate degrees.
• Why do solo travelers go solo?  Respondents could choose more than one response. 59% said they want to see more of the world and they're not willing to wait for others. 45% like the freedom to do what they want when they want.
• 54% of respondents like group travel at least some of the time. That's up from 34% in the 2017 survey.
• Solo travelers are frequent travelers. 46% of respondents travel three or more times per year.
• Adventure beats out urban travel . 30% like adventure travel while only 23% favor urban travel
• 24% of readers spend more than $1,500 for one week excluding airfare. Most spend between $500 and $1,500 for the same (2017 result).
• 32% of solo travelers start planning 6 months before departure . 33% start planning 3 months or less before departure.

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The content of Solo Traveler and any resources published by Solo Traveler are meant for entertainment and inspiration only. Please note that while we have advertising clients promoting destinations, products, services, trips and tours on Solo Traveler and that we endeavour to only work with companies in which we have confidence, we are not responsible for the delivery or quality of their products or services. Every person and every travel situation is different. Your safety, satisfaction and fun traveling solo are your responsibility alone and not that of Solo Traveler, its publisher, editor and/or writers.

PRIVACY POLICY & DISCLOSURE: In accordance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Additionally, some posts might be sponsored to support this site. Please do the appropriate research before participating in any third party offers. All opinions are my own. Please read our full Privacy Policy here.

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U.S. Passports Issued by Fiscal Year (1996-2023)

U.s. passports issued by calendar year (1974-1995), valid passports in circulation by fiscal year (1989-2023).

Please note : Passports for children under age 16 are valid for 5 years, while passports for adults are valid for 10 years. One customer may also have both a passport book and card which counts as two valid passports. 

U.S. Passport Applications Received by Fiscal Year (1986-2023)

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Statistical data is available on the number of reported international parental child abductions, and access requests, made to the office of Children’s Issues. This information is presented by calendar year, broken down by country, the number of cases, and the number of children involved. For Hague Convention partner country data: The numbers reflect abductions reported to the Office of Children’s Issues, not the number of Hague applications filed with a Central Authority during the given period.

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The Wandering RV

75+ millennials travel statistics & trends for 2022.

• Bill Widmer
• Updated: June 14, 2023

Sponsors help keep our quality content free!

​ Millennials are the largest generation to date, making up 31.5% of the population at 7.7 billion people.

Amazingly, this generation has an estimated $200 billion of spending power, making them an ideal demographic for travel companies

​ We compiled all the data available about millennial travel into one easy-to-read report, which you’ll find below.​ ​You’ll learn how millennials are changing the way travel works by caring more about solo travel, cultural experiences, planning their own itineraries, ignoring cheap stock photography and relying on influencers and social media to make travel decisions. 

And all of this is mainly done on their smart phones, from researching their travels to booking their flights and hotels!

Table of Contents

Essential millennials travel statistics, millennial travel destinations trending up, millennial travel destinations trending down, how much do millennials typically spend traveling, why do millennials love traveling so much, what do millennial travelers prefer: going with a group or solo, how much influence does social media have on millennials’ travel decisions, how do smartphones help millennial travelers, why do millennials travel so much, how do millennials book their travel, how do millennials make use of hotel bookings and rewards, what are the services younger generations want from the travel industry.

• The overwhelming majority of millennials— 97 percent —share travel experiences on social media.   Two-thirds post at least once a day.
• In 2018, millennials spent $200 billion ​ on travel, and 33 percent  of millennials budget $5,000+ for vacations.
• Social media has a profound influence on booking choices, with 87 percent of millennials indicating Facebook inspired their booking and over 50 percent stating Pinterest or Twitter influenced their decisions.
• Around 86 percent of millennials chose experiencing a new culture over partying ( 44 percent ) and shopping ( 28 percent ).
• Most millennials traveled during the past year– 82 percent , compared with 75 percent of other generations surveyed.
• Upwards of 65 percent of millennials book their travel with a smartphone, and 74 percent use one for travel research.
• Millennials take 69 percent more weekend trips, while only 13 percent of other generations travel over the weekend.
• The average trip taken by millennials was 6.2 days , versus 6.6 days for Gen Z, 6.4 days for Gen X, and 7.8 days for Boomers.
• Over half of millennials– 58 percent –lean toward solo travel, and 26 percent have done so.
• Nearly half of millennials with children ( 44 percent ) have traveled together. The majority ( 62 percent ) went with children under five years old.
• On average, millennials take 5.6 tripsannually , compared with 4.4 per year for Gen Z, 4.0 per year for Gen X, and 3.5 per year for Baby Boomers.

Where Do Millennials Enjoy Traveling?

According to  world tourism rankings , travel choices generally clustered around these top ten travel destinations regardless of generation in 2018:

• ​​United States
• United Kingdom*​

*Notably, the only country whose visitation was down among the top ten.

The Independent cites two groups of top travel destinations for millennials—those trending up, and others trending down.

Travel to the destinations ​below has increased for millennials.

• ​Bora Bora ( +24 percent )
• ​Saint Martin ( +21 percent )
• ​Aspen, Colorado ( +18 percent )
• ​Denpasar, Indonesia ( +16 percent )
• ​Kahului, Hawaii ( +16 percent )
• Dublin, Ireland ( +13 percent )

Travel to the destinations listed below has fallen for millennials.

• ​​Frankfurt, Germany ( -17 percent )
• ​​Managua, Nicaragua ( -16 percent )
• ​​Toronto, Canada ( -12 percent )
• ​Santiago, Dominican Republic ( -12 percent )
• ​Bogota, Colombia ( -11 percent )
• ​Mexico City, Mexico ( -10 percent )

Some other millennial travel trends worth noting:

• ​City Breaks–short, often weekend city vacations–increased dramatically (up 82 percent ) since 2004. Currently, 22 percent of all global holidays are city break vacations.
• ​More than 40 percent of millennials plan on visiting a beach resort within the next 12 months.
• ​Close to 38 percent are planning a city break in a metropolitan city within the next 12 months.

Domestic travel in the US is ​very different. Domestic destinations are among the vast majority of millennials’ favorite travel destinations ( 79 percent ). However, it’s worth noting that one in three millennials will plan an international trip within the next two years.

In the US, millennials stated their annual travel plans included the following:  

• ​Approximately 51 percent plan to visit domestic and international travel destinations.
• ​Roughly 42 percent plan for domestic travel only.
• ​Only 7 percent plan to travel internationally.

Within the next two years, 33 percent of millennials plan on traveling to international destinations.

The spending numbers for traveling millennials are substantial. In 2018, US millennials spent a whopping $200 billion . Additionally, millennials increasingly have large travel budgets and are the generation most likely to accrue debt so they can travel.

• ​Around 33 percent of millennials budget $5,000 or more for their vacations.
• ​Nearly 72 percent of millennials prefer spending money on travel experiences instead of physical possessions.
• ​More than half of millennials ( 55 percent ) stated they want to travel more within the next year.
• US millennials spent $1,373 on summer vacations in 2018, on average, excluding airfare.
• 46 percent of millennials upgrade to business class flights, compared to 34 percent of Gen X, and 16 percent of Boomers

Given the upward trends in millennials’ travel, they are a generation worthy of your attention and marketing dollars. Boston Consulting Group cited research indicating that millennials’ spending on business trips is likely to increase to nearly 50 percent of the business air travel market in 2020. 

Additional data indicates the overall trend in this generation’s travel increases as they book more trips. You can, then, plan on millennials’ spending to increase as well.

Travel industry data shows 33 percent of millennials have an average travel budget of $5,000 or more. However, despite more frequent travel than other generations, the cost of their average summer vacation was modest at $1,373 (excluding airfare). By contrast, Gen X spends an average of $2,628 , and Baby Boomers an average of $1,865 on summer vacations.

The most recent data indicates Millennials are not stereotypical tourists, preferring experience travel with the desire for cultural immersion and fewer tourist traps.

• ​More than 78 percent of millennials expect an educational adventure.
• ​About 60 percent of millennials think having an authentic cultural experience is essential to their trip.

Experiencing new cultures is so important to this generation of travelers that 86 percent chose traveling to a new culture over 44 percent who go to party and 28 percent who travel for shopping.

• ​Having an authentic cultural experience ranked as the most vital part of their travel experience for 60 percent of millennials.
• ​Taking an educational trip and learning new things ranked highly among 78 percent .
• ​Millennials are 13 percent more likely than other generations to seek travel destinations with historical or cultural significance.
• ​Thrill-seeking millennials are two times as likely to seek out hazardous activities for excitement as other generations.
• Since millennials typically plan their travel, online travel agencies have seen a steep decline in bookings–between 25 and 50 percent over two years.
• ​More than half of millennials— 62 percent —are likely to extend business trips to visit areas or sites of cultural significance.

Travel destinations that wish to capture a segment of the $200 billion annual millennial travel market need cultural experiences, accommodations, dining, and other amenities to draw this increasingly significant segment of the traveling population.

In addition to booking their trips, millennials are increasingly favoring direct accommodation services like Airbnb over traditional forms of lodging. They can travel more because they generally have fewer responsibilities.

Millennials’ travel preferences depend on the individual, like any generation, but overall the data indicates 58 percent of millennials prefer traveling with friends, compared to 38 percent of other age groups. Interestingly, 58 percent of millennials surveyed also stated they would travel solo. About 26 percent of millennials have already gone alone.

When it comes to women, 26 percent of millennials have traveled solo, and 27 percent have not but would consider it. Data suggests 40 percent of travelers will vacation with friends in the next 12 months. Here are some additional stats regarding millennials’ group traveling habits.

• ​Nearly 70 percent had more frequent weekend trips, compared to other generations ( 13 percent ).
• ​Among millennials with children, 44 percent have traveled together with other families, and 60 percent of those were traveling with children under five years old.
• ​Almost half of all millennials— 49 percent —take last-minute trips, while 69 percent regret not taking spur-of-the-moment vacations.
• ​Three-quarters of millennials want more travel abroad, compared to 52 percent of other generations.

The data indicates this generation’s travel preferences are markedly different than previous generations. Social media is a very influential driver in millennials’ travel choices, which combine wanderlust with a craving for knowledge and an emphasis on experience and exposure to new cultures and ideas.

Social media has a massive influence on millennials’ travel booking habits. 

• ​Almost all millennials ( 97 percent ) share their travel experiences on social media, posting two to three times a day on average while traveling.
• ​ 87 percent seek travel inspiration from travel posts seen on Facebook.
• ​More than 50 percent find travel inspiration from Pinterest or Twitter.
• ​Crowd-sourced content like reviews, forums, and comments influences many millennials’ booking decisions ( 84 percent ).
• A significant number of millennials ( 79 percent ) seek the advice of friends about travel destinations and frequently book using these recommendations.
• Upwards of 40 percent of millennials who travel internationally admit they strive to create a curated version of themselves on social media.

Millennials–those born between 1981 and 1996–grew up with the internet and social media as platforms for recording the events of their daily life. The influence of social media, in turn, plays a central role in millennials’ choices.

A vast majority of millennial travelers seek out social media for travel inspiration, research, and ultimately choosing where to travel. Since nearly all millennials post their travel experiences online while on vacation, they further influence their friends’ holiday choices when choosing a vacation destination.

Many progressive vacation destinations have introduced so-called “selfie stations” to encourage travelers to pose for photos and share their experience while also tagging or checking in at the resort or destination on social media. Savvy marketers are finding ways to get social media exposure without even asking or annoying their guests.

Millennial travelers are very much DIY when it comes to booking their travel using mobile devices and apps.

• ​The vast majority– 86 percent –report a disappointing experience using online travel agents on a mobile device.
• ​Approximately 75 percent have travel apps installed on their smartphone, compared with 47 percent of other generations.
• ​74 percent research their vacation plans using a smartphone.
• ​Most millennials– 66 percent ​–book travel using their smartphones.​

​To millennials, a smartphone is an essential tool for planning, researching, booking, and documenting a vacation. This generation grew up using smartphones, so, unsurprisingly, two-thirds of millennials book travel on a smartphone and nearly three-quarters use a smartphone and travel apps to research their trips.

Smartphone apps have also streamlined how we check-in for flights and hotels, navigate in unfamiliar places, book reservations for dining and excursions, and more. 

Data from the travel industry suggests that long-duration travel to a different part of the world increased happiness among survey respondents. The data on millennials indicates:

• ​More than half– 55 percent –travel to relax and escape from ordinary life.
• ​50 percent travel to visit other people and 45 percent for family travel.
• ​Upwards of a third, at 34 percent , travel for a romantic getaway.
• Another 34 percent of millennials say they travel to experience more from life.
• A friendly 23 percent travel to meet and befriend other travelers.
• One quarter– 25 percent –of millennial families choose international destinations for their vacations.
• Nearly three-quarters– 72 percent –have a specific destination in mind for their dream vacation, planned for the near future.

The pattern that emerged from the data on this question indicates millennials’ vacation planning has three main drivers: destination, trip length, and experiences . A 2017 New Horizons study found a relationship between the frequency of activities and experiences while traveling corresponded to increased happiness. The increase can level off for trips of one month or more in duration.

The destinations that ranked highly on people’s joy index were:

Data also suggests that any generation traveling outside their local area is happier than people who only stay close to home.

Millennials’ booking preferences break down as follows: 

• ​57 percent use online travel agents.
• ​36 percent use hotel websites.
• ​32 percent use airline websites​.

When it comes to researching their travel plans, millennials use a variety of online sources in addition to social media.

• ​The vast majority– 85 percent ​ –check multiple sites for the best deals before booking.
• ​61 percent of millennials scour travel sites, ask booking agents, and check opinion sites when researching their trip.
• ​More than half of millennials– 52 percent –check online reviews, travel websites, and blogs researching their potential destinations.
• ​23 percent selected online travel agents because of their user-friendly, secure website design over price.
• ​13 percent prefer booking directly instead of using online travel agents due to security concerns.

​The millennial generation’s travel choices have an emotional dimension as well as an experiential one. They want validation for their choice of destination from other travelers who’ve been there. More than half of respondents consult with social media, review sites, family, and friends when researching their travel options.

Despite millennials’ preference for DIY sites like Kayak, Expedia, and Booking.com, travel agents are still a profitable business within the industry. Most millennials ( 61 percent ) used both offline and online travel agents to plan their experiential, culturally enriching vacations.

More than half of millennials ( 58 percent ) prefer full-service hotels. Only 11 percent preferred Airbnb and owner direct accommodations. Additionally:

• ​ 13 percent prefer booking directly instead of using online travel agents due to security concerns.
• ​Social media images of hotels and travel experiences influenced booking choices of 40 percent of millennials.
• ​41 percent cited ease of use for joining a loyalty program, and 68 percent remain with programs offering the best rewards.

Major hotel chains have taken notice of the $200 billion annual millennial travel business and have marketed reward or loyalty programs to attract direct bookings from this segment. Three-quarters of patrons remain brand-loyal even with expired points. 

With millennial travelers expected to increase business travel spending by 50 percent in 2020, smart hotels and boutique lodging establishments will work aggressively to capture and retain these customers.

Hotels can also benefit from short-duration discounts and flash sales to draw new business by leveraging millennials’ spontaneous nature.

The essential services millennials want from the travel industry include information and conveniences.

• ​A large portion— 68 percent —want to split the cost of booking their travel with others.
• ​ Half of all travelers prefer accessing customer service via instant messaging vs. face-to-face.
• ​Two-thirds want a service that recommends vacations based on 1) personality and 2) budget.
• Millennials are more willing than other generations to exchange personal information for discounts ( 16 percent )—more than half ( 57 percent ) would do so if the service included personalized vacation recommendations, advice, and travel tips.
• 60 percent are planning to upgrade their vacation experience.
• Around 36 percent prefer automated check-ins versus 19 percent from older generations.

The key takeaways for marketing to millennials using technology include:

• ​Social Media: engage with millennials and learn their language, then reflect that in your brand.
• ​Smartphones: three-quarters use phones for research, 66 percent for booking. However, 86 percent are dissatisfied with the user experience. Nail it with your app to get the best results.
• ​Rewards: millennials want loyalty programs with VIP upgrades or discounts to keep them coming back – but keep it simple.
• Authenticity: include lots of user-generated content on your website and social media channels.

Other statistic pages:

• Travel Statistics by Age Group
• U.S. Tourism Statistics
• Solo Travel Statistics
• Female Travel Statistics
• Baby Boomer Travel Statistics
• Millennial Travel Statistics
• Car Accident Statistics
• Best Places to Travel (Poll)

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Travelpac: travel to and from the UK (2023 edition)

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From August 1, 2024, Onward: What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States

At a glance.

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the 6 months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required).

Requirements for all dogs

Requirements for dogs with a current and valid rabies vaccination administered in the united states.

• Requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a country with high risk of dog rabies within 6 months before entry

Requirements for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk during the 6 months before entry

All dogs must:

• Be at least 6 months of age at time of entry or return to the United States
• This must have been implanted prior to any required rabies vaccination
• The microchip number must be documented on all required forms and in all accompanying veterinary records
• Dogs may not enter the United States if they are carrying a disease contagious to people.
• Isolation of the dog, veterinary examination, and additional testing, at the importer’s expense, may be required to determine if the dog has a contagious disease and prevent spread if the dog does not appear healthy upon arrival.

This form should be filled out online ideally 2-10 days before arrival; however, it can also be completed right before travel (even in line at the border crossing) if you have internet access. If the information on the form changes before the dog arrives, you must submit a new form and indicate you are making changes to an existing form. All information, including port of entry where the dog is arriving, must be correct at time of arrival.

• This form requires you to upload a clear photograph of the dog showing its face and body. Dogs that will be less than one year of age at time of arrival should have the photograph taken within 10 days before arrival.
• There is no charge to importers for submitting this form.
• Additional requirements for dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States
• Additional requirements for dogs that have been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies within the 6 months before entry and do NOT have appropriate documentation of current US-issued rabies vaccine
• Additional requirements for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk in the 6 months before entry

Dogs that do not meet all entry requirements or do not have accurate and valid forms will be denied entry to the United States and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense. These requirements apply to all dogs, including service dogs and dogs that were born in the United States.

Specific requirements depend on whether the dog has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies  in the past 6 months.

Dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States that have been in a high-risk country for dog rabies must:  

• Meet all requirements in the “All Dogs” section above
• The Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form is required for the importation (re-entry) of U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in high-risk countries for dog rabies  within the 6 months before re-entry into the United States.
• Please note, during the transition period, the importer may instead present a copy of the USDA endorsed export health certificate that was used to ship the dog from the United States, if that export health certificate documents the dog’s age (at least 6 months), the microchip number, and valid rabies vaccination administered in the United States. The rabies vaccination must be valid (not expired) on the date of return or the form will be invalid.
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select this location when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form.)

Dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States that have NOT been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months must:

• A Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccine form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States; or
• Document a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination (1 or 3 years)).
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select this location when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form .)

Important information about the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination Form

The Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form must be completed before the dog departs the U.S. Before asking your veterinarian to complete this form, verify the following requirements will be met:

• Ensure your dog will be at least 6 months of age on date of return to the U.S.
• Have your dog microchipped with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip (implanted before any required rabies vaccinations)
• Ensure the veterinarian scans the dog for the ISO-compatible microchip and records the microchip number at the time of vaccine appointment. Rabies vaccines administered prior to microchip implantation will not be considered valid.
• Ensure the rabies vaccination will be valid for the entire duration of your travels. If your dog’s U.S.-issued rabies vaccination lapses while overseas and your dog has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, your dog will need to be revaccinated overseas and meet requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs to return to the U.S., including having a rabies serology titer, arriving at a specific port of entry, and possible quarantine requirements.
• Your dog’s first rabies vaccination must be administered at least 28 days before travel.
• Ensure the veterinarian submits this form to the USDA for official endorsement through the VEHCS portal
• Your dog must travel with a printed copy of the official endorsed form upon your dog’s return to the United States if your dog has been in a high-risk country within the 6 months before returning to the U.S.

During the transition period, U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, may have either the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form or the USDA endorsed export health certificate for re-entry into the United States. Without one of these forms your dog will need to meet the requirements specific to the risk category of the countries where they have been in the 6 months before returning to the United States.

The export health certificate must document the dog’s age (at least 6 months), microchip number, and the rabies vaccination date. The rabies vaccine must be valid (not expired) on the date of return or the form will be invalid.

Requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a country with high risk of dog rabies within 6 months before entry

Dogs, including service dogs, that have been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies within the 6 months before entry and do not have appropriate documentation of current U.S.-issued rabies vaccine must:

• Meet all requirements in the “All Dogs” section
• Ensure the dog is microchipped with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip before receiving the rabies vaccination and the number is recorded on the veterinary documents or the vaccine will not be considered valid
• Verify the dog is at least 12 weeks (84 days) of age when vaccinated against rabies
• The dog must have a valid (i.e., non-expired) rabies vaccination. If it’s the dog’s first vaccination or if the dog’s vaccination coverage has lapsed, the vaccine must be administered at least 28 days before arrival to the United States.
• The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form must be completed by your veterinarian AND endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country.
• The blood sample for the rabies serology titer must have been drawn at least 30 days after the dog’s first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before entry to the U.S.
• Dogs with a history of multiple valid rabies vaccinations administered after the microchip was placed may have the sample for the rabies serology titer drawn at any time after a rabies booster vaccination as long as the dog’s first vaccine was given at least 30 days before the blood sample was drawn and there has been no lapse in vaccine coverage. If a lapse occurs, the sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the valid booster vaccination was administered.
• The sample must be sent to a CDC-approved rabies serology laboratory . If there is no CDC-approved laboratory in your country, your veterinarian may draw the sample and send it internationally to a CDC-approved laboratory.
• Passing results must be obtained in order for a serology to be valid.
• Rabies serology titer results will be considered valid for the life of the dog as long as the dog’s rabies vaccination coverage does not lapse. If a lapse occurs, a new rabies serology titer will be required and that sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the new vaccination was administered.
• If the dog does not have a valid rabies serology titer, it will be required to be quarantined at a CDC-registered animal care facility for 28 days after the dog is revaccinated by the facility’s veterinarian.
• All foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the previous 6 months must have a reservation for examination, verification of age, documents, and microchip number, and administration of a rabies booster vaccination at a CDC-registered animal care facility immediately upon arrival in the United States.
• Dogs that do not have a valid rabies serology titer must also have a reservation for quarantine. Dogs will be quarantined at the facility for 28 days at the importer’s expense after being revaccinated by the facility’s veterinarian.
• All CDC-registered animal care facility expenses, including exam, revaccination, and quarantine (if required), are the responsibility of the importer.
• The facility will need copies of all required documents prior to confirming your reservation.
• Ensure the dog meets any facility-specific requirements (contact facility for additional information).
• If after arrival the CDC-registered animal care facility determines that your documents are not valid or the dog’s microchip number, age, or description does not match the paperwork provided, the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at your expense.
• Dogs that have evidence of illness or are not healthy will be required to have testing to confirm they do not have contagious diseases before they will be eligible for release, which may extend the required quarantine period beyond 28 days. Any required testing or extended stay in quarantine will be at the importer’s expense, so please ensure dogs are healthy upon arrival (including no evidence of fleas, ticks, or skin diseases).
• Dogs must arrive to the U.S. at the airport where the CDC-registered animal care facility is located. This must be the location where the dog has a reservation.
• This must also be the airport listed on the CDC Dog Import Form
• Domestic flights or other forms of travel to other locations in the U.S. are not permitted until after the dog receives required follow-up services at the CDC-registered animal care facility and is cleared for entry.
• SERVICE DOGS ARRIVING BY SEA : Service dogs, as defined in 14 CFR 382.3, may arrive by sea if they meet the requirements in the “All Dogs” section, have a complete Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form and a valid rabies serology titer, and are traveling with their handler. Emotional support animals are not service animals under this definition.

Countries that are not on the list of countries at high risk for dog rabies  are considered to be free of or low risk for dog-mediated rabies virus variant (DMRVV) (called dog rabies-free or low-risk countries on these webpages).

Dogs, including service dogs, that have been ONLY in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries during the 6 months before entry into the United States must:

• Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, including the endorsement by an official veterinarian of the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog has been located; AND EITHER (1) a valid rabies serology titer OR (2) veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months. The form must be completed within 30 days before arrival to the United States.
• Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States
• Is for the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog’s return itinerary originated (the form will only be valid for 30 days if it does not contain rabies vaccination information), or
• Documents a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination (1 or 3 years)).
• Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the 6 months before traveling to the U.S. The form must be completed within the 30 days before arriving to the United States.
• Foreign export certificate that documents the dog is at least 6 months of age, lists the dog’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip number, and has been endorsed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select it when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form .)

Any documentation that is not from the United States must be completed in the country where the dog’s travel originates. For example, if the dog’s documents were issued in France, the dog may not enter the U.S. via a land-border crossing from Mexico to the U.S.

*Examples of veterinary records that must accompany completed forms are European Union pet passports or proof of payment for veterinary services received in the exporting low-risk country for the previous 6 months. Records must include the dog’s microchip number.

For more information, see: Frequently Asked Questions on CDC Dog Importations  

If you have questions or need more information, please contact CDC-INFO at (800) 232-4636.

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