by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:00 PM ET, Wed December 30, 2015
As people begin to celebrate the holiday season, TripAdvisor is already looking ahead to 2016 by releasing the results of the TripBarometer study.
TripAdvisor's survey highlights key projected travel trends for 2016.
The TripBarometer study was conducted by independent research firm Ipsos and took input from more than 44,000 responders, including travelers and those associated with the hotel and tourism industries.
For travelers in the Unites States, the study found that 78 percent of those hitting the road this year planned to spend more or the same amount of money on travel in 2016. The average in America is $8,400 for the entire year, which is the third-largest budget of any country in the world.
As for how much each generation is expected to spend on travel in 2016, Baby Boomers in the U.S. are estimated to spend an average of $10,600, and Millennials will spend much less, at an average of $5,300. Both totals are higher than the global averages of $8,700 and $2,900, respectively.
TripAdvisor Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Messing released a statement about the survey, saying, "This year's TripBarometer shows that U.S. travelers continue to recognize the importance of treating themselves to travel. With one third of survey respondents planning to spend more this year, we expect to see even more travelers checking both domestic and international destinations off of their wish lists."
There are many considerations that contribute to where travelers visit each year, and 94 percent of respondents indicated that price was the most important factor when booking accommodations. In addition, ratings (90 percent), TripAdvisor reviews (89 percent), proximity to attractions (86 percent) and dining options (79 percent) were also ranked high on the priority lists for travelers.
Another potential deal-breaker for travelers is amenities. With Americans being set in their ways, 70 percent of those surveyed said they would book elsewhere if the accommodation didn't have air-conditioning and another 42 percent claimed they'd look elsewhere if there was no Wi-Fi.
For the full results of the TripBarometer study, check out TripAdvisor's official website.
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