Have American travel habits shifted in 2024?

Several significant factors have influenced travel across the globe in recent times – the pandemic for starters, the rise of remote work, economic fluctuations like rising cost-of-living in a number of markets and geopolitical events. 

In October last year, YouGov undertook an independent study to understand the impact the cost-of-living crisis had on travel across four markets – the US, Great Britain, Germany and France. YouGov created an updated survey in June this year to see whether travel behaviours are changing and among who. In this piece, we discuss the travel behaviours of Americans. 

How often are Americans travelling?

YouGov data shows that compared to January-October 2023 (45%), a higher proportion of Americans (53%) were away travelling or plan to do so (between December 2023 and November 2024).

Further, over two in five Americans (44%) are now travelling once or twice a year – higher than the corresponding figure in October 2023 (38%).

Respondents were quizzed on their frequency of travel between June 2023 and May 2024. Nearly one in five Americans (19%) say they had more holidays in this period as compared to previous years. Of these, 25-to-34-year-olds are the most likely across age groups (29%) to say they had more compared to previous years.

Notably, the US is the only exception – lesser proportions of respondents in other markets travelling once or twice this year compared to 2023 statistics. 

Where are Americans headed to on holiday?

Americans preferred domestic holiday destinations, YouGov data shows. 

When asked what type of holiday they did go on, more than a third of Americans responded with city breaks (36%), followed by domestic beach holidays (24%) and beach holidays abroad (12%).

Not everyone’s holidaying more often than before – higher cost-of-living is to blame

Across all the markets surveyed, one in five report to have reduced the number of holidays, with bigger proportion of those aged 35 years and above doing so in Germany and the US over time. For example, 75% of Americans aged 35+ are holidaying less as compared to previous years.

Why are they doing so?

High cost-of-living is the leading dampener on travel plans for nearly three in five Americans (59%) saying it made them cut back. Similar proportions of Americans say they simply can no longer afford travelling (38%) or their circumstances have changed (37%). One in five (20%) of those who had fewer holidays in recent times, say they are saving up for other things and 7% of them are saving up for a longer holiday in the future.

City breaks and beach holidays remain favourites. More than third of Americans (34%) are planning to go on domestic city breaks, followed by domestic beach holidays (32%). Americans are the most likely (compared to French, Britons and Germans) to plan on going on adventure holidays (14%) and cruise trips (14%).

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. Data from each market uses a nationally representative
sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and
Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.

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