With 90 million Americans planning to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve in 2014, it's no wonder that more than half of the country hopes Santa Claus brings them a trip this holiday season.
American Express Travel released its Spending and Saving Tracker on Wednesday, revealing several intriguing statistics pertaining to American consumers and their holiday travel plans in 2014, including the following:
"Among the four-in-ten (39 percent) consumers with holiday travel plans this year, 61 percent cite the reason is to visit family and friends. While about half as many (30 percent) are acting on a treat to themselves/family."
Why Give the Gift of Travel?
According to the data collected by the American Express Travel survey, 62 percent of the adult population in America would prefer the gift of travel over traditional presents this December.
"Consumers have spoken and they want to travel. It is no surprise that around the holidays many want to spend time with their family and friends and will travel to do so while others will use the time to get away themselves and celebrate with a trip," said American Express Travel executive vice president Claire Bennett.
"Regardless of their reason for traveling, consumers are looking at ways to keep budgets in check, but they are willing to spend more on certain aspects of the trip to give them the experience they want," Bennett added.
Despite the planning and scrupulous budgeting that traveling entails for most Americans, it's not difficult to understand the appeal of travel. After all, it's one of the few gifts that allow people to create lifetime-lasting memories in the process of experiencing something new.
Destination, Budget Are Biggest Considerations
Unsurprisingly, the tracker also notes that American travelers consider destination first and foremost when booking a trip, with 37 percent citing it as the biggest factor. Budget (26 percent) is the second-most important priority.
As far as budgets are concerned, 53 percent of respondents said they would stick to their trip budget, expecting to spend just over $617 per person on average. It should be noted that that figure is down nine percent from $678 in 2011.
However, American travelers do plan on spending more on dining out and entertainment than they do on extending their trips this holiday season.
Top-Rated Hotels Most Popular Accommodation
The survey also shows that almost one-third of Americans (30 percent) prefer four-star hotels when they stay out of town during the holidays, compared to 23 percent who prefer three stars or fewer.
Meanwhile, only 3 percent cite home-sharing services as their preferred accommodation.
While room upgrades and free spa treatments are more appealing to U.S. travelers than they were three years ago, food and beverage credits remain the most popular hotel amenity, with 40 percent in agreement, compared to just 34 percent in 2011.
Caribbean Appeals to Most International Travelers
For those Americans planning to head outside U.S. borders this holiday, the Caribbean will be the most visited destination, with seven percent heading to the islands, as opposed to just four percent in 2011.
Behind Asia (five percent), Mexico/Central America, South America and Europe are tied for a close third, each claiming four percent of American travelers.
Australia/New Zealand (two percent) is up from zero percent in 2011, beating out Africa/Middle East by just one percent in 2014.
While Americans tend to be very busy between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, it's clear that travel remains a priority. Furthermore, the survey shows that trips aren't simply a necessary evil of the holidays, but a coveted experience for most Americans.
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