Survey Finds 51 Million Americans Traveling for Labor Day Holiday

Image: Family hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/MargaretW)
Image: Family hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/MargaretW)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:34 PM ET, Wed September 1, 2021

A new survey showed that a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases and the rise of the Delta variant aren't enough to keep Americans from traveling during the Labor Day holiday period.

According to a study from ValuePenguin, 20 percent of respondents said they would travel for Labor Day-totaling 51 million people-with those most likely to travel being six-figure earners (32 percent), parents with kids under 18 (30 percent) and Gen Xers (25 percent).

While there is still strong demand for travel during the end-of-summer holiday period, around 29 million U.S. citizens (11 percent) have canceled their plans due to concerns about coronavirus and the Delta variant.

For Americans heading out of state (38 percent), Florida is the top Labor Day travel destination (12 percent), followed by California and New York, both totaling eight percent. Luckily, 57 percent of travelers insured their trip, including 38 percent who purchased a travel insurance policy and 19 percent who got insurance via their credit card.

More travelers are driving to their destinations this year (70 percent), while another 23 percent will take a commercial flight. As for accommodations, 44 percent of respondents said they would stay at hotels or resorts, beating out vacation rentals and staying with friends or family.

In terms of coronavirus protection, less than 40 percent of travelers plan to mask up both indoors and outdoors during their trip, with 27 percent only wearing a mask while indoors, 17 percent when required and 17 percent not wearing one at all.


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