US Travelers Eager to Get Away this Summer
NEWTON, Mass. -- Fully 89% of U.S. respondents to a TripAdvisor survey are planning a leisure trip this summer. And, 34% say they'll take a getaway Memorial Day.
Those numbers are up 6% and 7%, respectively, from the same time last year.
This year’s harsh winter has inspired many Americans to pack their bags: 9% cited the Polar Vortex as motivation to take a Memorial Day trip, and another 9% cited it as inspiration for setting out this summer. The long winter might also have more travelers spreading their wings, too; 71% said they will travel somewhere new this summer, the survey found.
Nearly three quarters (74%) of those traveling for Memorial Day will travel by car while 31% intend to fly. For those getting behind the wheel for the holiday weekend, roads will be busiest May 23, when 33% of travelers plan to depart and May 26, when 38% say they will return home.
Gasoline prices are up 19 cents per gallon from last year, and travelers have noticed: 32% said the price of fuel ($3.71 on average) will affectt their Memorial Day travel plans, up 25% from last year.
This year, 36% plan to spend more on their leisure summer travel than they did last year, and 14% will use some of their tax return dollars for their getaways. The most popular activity for travelers this summer won’t necessarily take place in the sun, but in the stores -- 54% of respondents plan to shop while on vacation.
Other top activities for summer trips:
- Swimming/watersports and visiting a historic site or re-enactment, 49% each.
- Going to a park or national park and sightseeing tours, 46% each.
- A majority, 6S%, of respondents will travel within the United States this summer. Top destinations are Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Las Vegas; New York City; Destin, Fla.; Ocean City, Md.; Orlando, Fla.; Virginia Beach, Va.; San Francisco; San Diego; and Key West, Fla.
- The most popular types of destinations are beach and ocean, cited by 45%; a big city, 41%; a national park, 21%; a lake, 17%; and a resort, 14%.
As for accommodations, the majority of travelers will stay at a hotel (69%), followed by the home of family/friends (26%) and vacation rentals (22%).
U.S. respondents cited ice cream (18%), lobster (14%), and watermelon (9%) as their favorite summer foods, while beer (16%), margaritas (11%), and lemonade (9%) are the most popular beverages. “Summer is typically the most popular vacation season, but this year Americans are really champing at the bit to travel after the Polar Vortex,” said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor. “A third of respondents are already expecting to increase summer travel spending, so it appears there’s no stopping winter-worn travelers from finding their happy place in the sun this year.”
TripAdvisorsays it is the world’s largest travel site.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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