Holiday season poll: 52% of Americans likely to travel for leisure

WASHINGTON – Fifty-two percent of Americans plan to travel overnight for leisure in the next four months, and hotels remain the top lodging choice for both leisure (45%) and business travelers (59%), according to a new survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and conducted by Morning Consult.

Sixty-six percent of Americans are more likely (25%) or equally as likely (41%) to stay in a hotel this fall or winter compared to a year ago.

Additionally, the survey found that 32% of Americans are likely to travel overnight this year for Thanksgiving, while 34% are likely to travel overnight for Christmas, a repeat of last year’s numbers for both holidays.

Despite this positive news, the poll found the lingering effects of inflation remain a significant hurdle to growth for hoteliers and other travel-related businesses. It found that over the next four months:

• 56% of respondents said inflation is likely to reduce their chance of staying in a hotel, up slightly from 55% in the spring.
• 50% said inflation is likely to reduce their chance of traveling overnight.
• 44% said inflation is likely to reduce their chance of traveling by airplane.
• 42% said inflation is likely to reduce their chance of renting a car.

The poll surveyed 2,201 U.S. adults from Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2024. Other findings include:

• 47% of respondents are likely to travel over the next four months for a family trip, 36% of whom are likely to stay in a hotel.
• 37% are likely to travel for a romantic getaway, 52% of whom are likely to stay in a hotel.
• 32% are likely to embark on a solo adventure during the holidays, 44% of whom are likely to stay in a hotel.
• 66% of Americans say sustainability is important to them when they travel, and 57% say they are more likely to stay in a hotel if it has a sustainability certification, such as Green Key Global.
• 23% of employed adults said they plan to take a business trip over the next four months, most of whom expect to stay at a hotel (59%).
• Access to high-speed Wi-Fi is the most important technological amenity for hotel guests, as 63% ranked this feature as one of their top three priorities.

Despite its many positive findings, this poll also underscores how the lingering effects of inflation continue to pose significant challenges for hoteliers and other travel-related businesses. Helping America’s hotels reach their full economic potential hinges on extending and protecting pro-growth tax policies, growing the hotel workforce, and stopping onerous government regulations at every turn. That’s exactly why AHLA will continue to fight for these issues. AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey

View an overview of the poll results here.

Morning Consult Survey Methodology: This poll was conducted between September 30 – October 2, 2024, among a sample of 2,201 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 to 6 percentage points depending on the audience.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.