MMGY Travel Intelligence has released the summer edition of its research study, “Portrait of American Travelers.” This quarterly survey examines the evolving habits, preferences, and behaviors of today’s U.S. travel consumers. The study found that eight in 10 active leisure travelers are interested in taking an international trip within the next two years, potentially signaling a new era of growth for Americans venturing abroad.
Strong Interest in International Travel
According to the study, travel intentions have increased across almost all household incomes compared to last year. Travel spending intentions for the year ahead have also reached the highest level recorded by MMGY since the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase can be attributed mainly to Boomers and those with household incomes of $100,000 or more. Chris Davidson, executive vice president of Travel Intelligence, stated, “With traveler interest and intent holding steady into summer, it’s evident that Americans are eagerly making their plans to travel and escape in the near future, despite—or because of—world events and financial burdens.”
Road Trips Dominate Travel Choices
More travelers than ever are taking road trips, with 64 percent reporting that they took a road trip in the last 12 months. This figure nearly doubles the 33 percent recorded in 2015. Younger generations and families with kids are most likely to embark on road trips in the next 12 months, motivated by spontaneity and the ability to explore multiple places.
Popular Domestic Destinations
Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, and California continue to be the top states drawing interest from leisure travelers. Hawaii leads with 67 percent, followed by Florida at 64 percent, and Colorado and California both at 59 percent. These states have all shown statistically significant increases in interest year over year.
Emerging Trends in Travel
More than a third of travelers are interested in participating in cannabis-related activities while on vacation. Half of these travelers are interested in visiting a cannabis shop. Interestingly, a quarter of these interested travelers do not use cannabis regularly but are open to cannabis-related experiences while traveling.
Generational Differences in Travel Intentions
While other generations are either witnessing an increase in travel intentions or are starting to level off, Gen Z continues to see a steady decline. This may be due to the increased pressure of inflation and trip costs on younger travelers, who have less discretionary income overall.
Impact of Economic and Social Factors
MMGY’s “Portrait of American Travelers” study provides an in-depth examination of the impact of the current economic environment, prevailing social values, and emerging travel habits, preferences, and intentions of Americans. The information presented in this “Summer Edition” report was obtained from interviews with 4,500 U.S. adults in May 2024 and features data from four generations: Gen Zers, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers. The Silent generation was also surveyed, but results are not broken out for this specific generation due to a small respondent sample size. This is the second of four quarterly reports to be released this year.
Conclusion
The findings from MMGY Travel Intelligence’s summer edition of “Portrait of American Travelers” indicate a robust interest in travel among Americans, with strong intentions to travel both domestically and internationally. Despite potential challenges such as political climate and global tensions, the overall travel forecast remains optimistic, driven by increased travel spending intentions and a growing interest in diverse travel experiences, including road trips and cannabis tourism.