In its newly released Fall Travel Outlook report, Expedia Group postulates that Americans now find themselves in a historical moment where we're shifting from "when will the pandemic end?" to "how do we learn to adapt?".
This spring and early summer had seen rising vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 case rates around the nation, states dropped their travel restrictions, and people began traveling to see friends and family, or enjoy a long-awaited vacation. More international destinations also began welcoming Americans, since the U.S.' epidemiological profile had finally taken it out of the high-risk category.
Then the Delta variant arrived and case rates across the nation have since climbed quickly. Now, it's hard to imagine a day when we'll be entirely out of the woods, and people want to hold onto their newly recovered sense of freedom while still staying safe. So, heading into fall, it's clear that people are going to continue traveling, it's only a matter of finding out how they plan on doing it.
Who's Keenest To Travel This Fall?
Expedia Group's survey, conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult, found that the majority of its 2,200 respondents already have plans to travel this fall (58 percent). Generationally speaking, Millennials (67 percent) are leading the charge, with Gen Z (61 percent) trailing behind, and Gen X (53 percent) and Boomers (53 percent) bringing up the rear.
Broken down geographically, suburban residents (62 percent) are most likely to travel this autumn, followed by city dwellers (58 percent). Survey results reflected the truth that travel plans scale up with income level and 80 percent of those with six-figure salaries already have trips booked within the next three months.
The Expedia Group Media Solutions Q2 Travel Recovery Trend Report revealed that monthly travel searches were up 70 percent during the summer, as compared to earlier in the year, and there are indications that this upward trend will continue into the fall.
Where Are Travelers Headed?
American travelers' destination choices reflect a desire for sunshine and open-air attractions, although people are also opting for big cities over small towns, which could mean some folks are feeling more comfortable visiting populous areas where vaccination rates are high. Based on hotel demand across Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Travelocity, the following are the top U.S. destinations from September through November.
1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Orlando, FL
3. New York City, NY
4. Cancun, Mexico
5. Orange County, CA
6. Chicago, IL
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. Riviera Maya, Mexico
9. San Diego, CA
10. Miami, FL
With Whom Are They Traveling?
The majority of respondents plan to take trips with a significant other, but solo travel has been on the rise in recent months. When asked the reasons why they're opting to go it alone, solo travelers said it's for a change of scenery (47 percent), for self-discovery (34 percent) and to fully immerse themselves in their destination (27 percent). It also seems that Millennials and Gen Z (72 percent) are more likely to opt for solo trips, compared to Gen X (59 percent) and Boomers (47 percent).
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