by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:50 PM ET, Wed August 27, 2025
Question of the day: When selecting your next travel destination, what's the top consideration?
Scenery and natural environment? The destination’s weather and climate? Or perhaps, cost of an airline ticket to the destination in question and room rates for local accommodations? Or maybe, it's a little of each of these things?
A newly published survey from Phocuswright delves into how travelers around the world decide where to go on vacation.
To get to the bottom of this question, Phocuswright conducted a consumer survey of adults with internet access across the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. Survey participants were individuals who have taken at least one overnight leisure trip in the past 12 months that was at least 75 miles from their home.
The results of this significant effort showed that, at least for American travelers, the number one influencing factor when selecting a destination is “friends and family in the destination.” That was the top consideration for 24 percent of American travelers.
Following closely behind, at 22 percent, is cost of airline tickets when selecting a destination. And next up, the price of lodging at 21 percent.
Rounding out the top destination influences for American travelers is “views/scenery” at 19 percent and at the bottom of the heap, are three additional destination influences, each of which were a top consideration for 17 percent of American travelers: climate; natural attractions, and prior experience there.
Choices by generation
Though not exactly surprising, the survey also reveals that younger travelers are more cost-conscious than older travelers and therefore, are more influenced by prices when selecting a travel destination.
For Millennials and those who are younger, the number one consideration when planning their last trip was the price of an airline ticket. It was the key factor for 29 percent of such survey participants, compared to 16 percent of Gen X and older travelers.
Similarly, 26 percent of Millennials and younger say the price of “hotel/lodging/vacation rental” is the top destination influence when selecting a vacation destination. That’s compared to 17 percent of travelers who are among Gen X and older.
A destination’s views and scenery was the key factor for just 21 percent of Millennials and for Gen X and older this consideration matters even less, just 18 percent said that was their top influence when planning their last vacation.
Top ‘goals’ when traveling
The survey also dug into what the "goals" are for American globetrotters when on vacation and it seems “rest and relaxation” is currently the number one reason for planning a vacation.
The need to simply “get away” from it all was the second most common goal listed by American travelers, at 31 percent. This was followed by "spending time away with friends and family” being the goal for 30 percent of Americans.
Romance meanwhile, does not seem to be a big priority for Americans at the moment. Just 19 percent of survey respondents said "time with spouse, partner, romance” was their goal when traveling.
Coming in dead last on this particular survey question was “seeking cultural enrichment.” A mere 10 percent of American travelers indicated that exploring new cultures was a goal for their travels. This is in stark contrast to travelers from other countries.
Germans, for instance, lead the pack, with 23 percent saying that they travel with the goal of experiencing cultural enrichment, followed by France, at 22 percent in this category and travelers from the UK at 14 percent.
Beaches versus big cities
Who doesn’t love a stunning beach view and days spent swimming in turquoise water? For travelers the world over, heading for a beach or ocean is their favorite vacation choice. Exploring a major city or urban center is another top choice when it comes to vacation styles, according to the survey.
And when it comes down to choosing between those two options? Cities win the day for Americans. Some 46 percent of American travelers surveyed said cities are their “top destination type” when traveling, followed by 39 percent of Americans who say a beach or ocean destination is their preferred choice when vacationing.
Meanwhile, small towns came in a distant third for American travelers at 28 percent, followed by rural areas at 18 percent, and lake/rivers at 16 percent. Rounding out the pack were mountain hikes and resort towns, both at 14 percent respectively.
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