This report explores the travel and tourism market in the US, with a focus on consumer vacation plans and priorities. Dividing consumers into four demographic/attitudinal segments, this report gives a complete review of the preferences of Americans when traveling. Below, we’ve summarized the key topics covered and offer hand-selected findings from the report.
Key Topics Covered
- The types of vacations people plan on taking in 2024 and most popular vacation seasons.
- Which vacationer segments present the greatest opportunities for travel brands.
- How vacation planners are prioritizing their household budgets, including for travel.
- Motivations for vacationing, preferences, and factors when choosing international destinations.
- Attitudes toward vacations, AI, and expectations from travel brands.
US Travel and Tourism Market Overview
In 2024, despite inflation consumers are looking to travel more, with rough economic conditions increasingly in the rear view. Looking ahead to 2025-26, business travel should fully recover, pending continued improvements, and leisure will resume its importance to leisure travel overall. Following this, inbound tourism should increase as foreign economies stabilize, bringing in the final puzzle piece.
Consumer Vacation Plans and Priorities
Travel intent remains similar to last year. 83% of consumers intend to travel on an overnight leisure trip in 2024. With consumers prioritizing travel spending in their budget, this reflects that vacations are seen as a necessity or even an investment in their mental and physical wellbeing.
More consumers are planning all types of vacations in 2024, such as within the US or with family, when compared with those who planned the same types in 2023. This indicates a robust year for travel. With a large number also visiting previous destinations, this provides an opportunity for hotels to lock in the loyalty of repeat guests.
Find comprehensive data-backed analysis in your copy of the full report. You can also browse our other travel market research.
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Expert Analysis
Expert travel analyst Mike Gallinari delivers industry insights with this in-depth report.
Revenge travel may be over, but that doesn’t mean travel has abated. Rather, consumers are traveling more, demanding seamlessness from travel brands along the way.
Mike Gallinari
Senior Travel & Leisure Analyst
Collapse All
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- Key Issues Covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Travel plans in 2024
- Graph 1: top 3 household budget priorities (rank), 2023
- Graph 2: planned vacation types, 2022-23
- Graph 3: number of vacation types planned for the next 12 months, 2022-23
- Graph 4: planned vacation types in the next 12 months, by generation, 2023
- Graph 5: top priority of season for vacation (rank 1-3), 2023
- Graph 6: search interest for “vacation” on Google, 2019-23
- Graph 7: 2024 vacation motivations, 2023
- Graph 8: travel preferences, 2023
- Graph 9: foreign destination factors, 2023
- Graph 10: attitudes toward travel services (any agree), 2023
- Graph 11: attitudes toward travel (any agree), 2023
- Vacation segments
- Appealing to Stately Boomers
- Graph 12: vacation motivations, by Stately Boomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 13: top-ranked household budget priority, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 14: vacation attraction preferences, by Stately Boomers, 2023
- Graph 15: foreign destination vacation factors – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 16: attitudes toward travel services (any agree), by Stately Boomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 17: attitudes toward AI in travel (any agree), by Stately Boomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 18: attitudes toward travel (any agree), by Stately Boomers vs all, 2023
- Appealing to Makeshift Roomers
- Graph 19: vacation types planned for 2024 – select items, by Makeshift Roomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 20: vacation motivations – select items, by Makeshift Roomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 21: top 3 household budget priorities (any rank), by Makeshift Roomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 22: vacation preferences, by Makeshift Roomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 23: foreign destination vacation factors – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 24: attitudes toward travel services (any agree), by Makeshift Roomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 25: attitudes toward AI in travel (any agree), by vacation segment, 2023
- Appealing to Family Movers
- Graph 26: vacation types planned for 2024 – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 27: vacation motivations, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 28: vacation preferences – select items, by Family Movers vs all, 2023
- Graph 29: foreign destination vacation factors – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 30: attitudes toward travel services (any agree), by Family Movers vs all, 2023
- Graph 31: attitudes toward AI and travel (any agree), by Family Movers vs all, 2023
- Graph 32: attitudes toward personal ideas of travel (any agree), by Family Movers vs all, 2023
- Appealing to Late Bloomers
- Graph 33: vacation types planned for 2024 – select items, by Late Bloomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 34: vacation motivations – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 35: top-ranked household budget priority, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 36: vacation preferences – select items, by vacation segment, 2023
- Graph 37: attitudes toward travel services and AI in travel (any agree), by Late Bloomers vs all, 2023
- Graph 38: attitudes toward personal ideas of travel (any agree) – select items, by Late Bloomers vs all, 2023
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Competitive Strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Marketing and advertising
- Graph 39: digital ad spend by airlines – select platforms, by month, January 2021-24
- Graph 40: share of digital ad spend, by airline, January 2023-24
- Graph 41: share of digital ad spend across platforms, by airline, January 2023-24
- Graph 42: digital ad spend by select hotel brands – select platforms, by quarter, Q1 2021-Q4 2023
- Graph 43: share of digital ad spend across platforms, by hotel brand, January 2023-24
- Graph 44: share of digital ad spend across platforms, by cruise lines, January 2023-24
- Graph 45: digital ad spend on eBay.com, by top advertisers, December 2023
- Trends and opportunities
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The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Graph 46: Consumer Price Index change from previous period, 2020-2023
- Graph 47: consumer sentiment index, 2020-24
- Market size and forecast
- Market segmentation
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Appendix
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