We are in the thick of the long-anticipated travel rebound in the U.S., as
vaccination rates increase and international travel starts to reopen. For
many, family reunions, weddings, and Fourth of July gatherings are no
longer fantasy, but now an imminent possibility.
This positive momentum in travel signals rapid transformation for the
industry. As a result, there’s a widely held desire to evolve and exceed
traveler expectations. Expedia Group surveyed 2,200 Americans in
partnership with Morning Consult in June 2021 to gauge the level of pent-up
travel demand and how it will manifest in the summer months, plus discover
what travelers are seeking. Here’s what we found.
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The majority of Americans have travel plans locked in this summer,
and vaccinated travelers are in the lead.
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Sixty-six percent of people will take at least one trip over the summer,
and approximately one in four will travel for July 4th.
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More vaccinated individuals (69%) plan to travel this summer than those
who are unvaccinated (63%).
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Revenge travel is trending. Younger generations and city dwellers
are most eager to go big compared to pre-pandemic times.
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Americans living in urban areas (59%) are most likely to travel more
following the pandemic than they did before COVID-19, compared to 50% of
suburbanites and 45% of rural residents.
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Sixty-seven percent of Millennials and 65% of Gen Z are planning revenge
travel, while 45% of Gen X and 39% Boomers are doing the same.
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On average, travelers plan to spend $1,674 USD on their next
vacation.
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Of course, this number scales with income. Americans who make $100K or
more will splurge $2,929 on average.
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People who earn $50K-$100K plan to spend $1,773, and those who make under
$50K will dole out $1,080 for an upcoming trip.
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Many Americans are ready to board a plane — even those who haven’t
flown since before March 2020.
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As we emerge from the pandemic in the U.S., 58% of people would be
comfortable hopping on a plane in the next three months — 39% of whom
haven’t been in an airport since March 2020.
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Millennials (70%) and Gen Z (63%) are most excited to fly, and vaccinated
Americans (60%) are more comfortable than unvaccinated Americans (54%) with
air travel.
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Unvaccinated travelers are unwilling to reveal their vaccination
status while on a trip.
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Among those vaccinated, 85% would be willing to share their vaccination
status with others to ease concerns of contracting COVID-19 — whether it’s
telling a seatmate on a plane or someone boarding an elevator as a token of
acceptance.
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On the flip side, only 44% of those who are unvaccinated would be willing
to reveal this fact.
For daily updates about the state of travel, follow us on Twitter
@ExpediaGroup, and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/expedia/.