The Labor Day holiday weekend is just a few weeks away to kick off the US fall travel season. While it’s been a crazy summer for travel, with much of the world opening up after more than two years of COVID-related restrictions, Americans’ appetites for vacations have yet to be satiated.
According to Tripadvisor’s 2022 Fall Travel Index — based on the platform’s first-party search data, combined with relevant consumer sentiment data — 61 percent of U.S. respondents are planning trips this fall, though slightly more different than they had imagined.
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The demand for travel will not decrease
According to the Index, 37 percent of Americans still intend to travel this fall as originally planned, despite inflation challenges. Globally, 34 percent also indicated that they intend to travel as planned between September and November, despite continued rising costs.
Despite facing record inflation rates, insane gas prices, and the ongoing presence of COVID-19, global consumers show no indication that demand for travel (especially among Americans) is slowing down anytime soon.
Sluggish demand is prompting Americans to cut back on other spending to make sure they can take their fall vacation. In fact, half of Americans (50 percent) plan to take more trips this fall, and two-thirds (66 percent) plan to spend more on it than at the same time last year.
The journey may look a little different
While fall travel is still in the books, the cost of living crisis is affecting Americans’ choices. Nearly half (45 percent) of US travelers said ‘Price’ influenced their chosen travel dates, and two-thirds (66 percent) consider ‘Cost/Affordability’ top criteria in their travel planning process.
So while rising costs won’t stop Americans from traveling this fall, many have had to adjust their plans a bit. Thirty-five percent of respondents said they are likely to take trips of shorter duration, while nearly a quarter (24 percent) indicated they are likely to choose a destination that is closer to home than originally planned.
Domestic vs. International Travel
As is the trend globally, domestic travel remains the preferred type of travel among Americans for the upcoming season, whether due to the high cost of travel or other factors. TripAdvisor found that 81 percent of US and 60 percent of global travelers surveyed are choosing domestic vacations this fall.
However, an encouraging trend in the growth of long-haul air travel has also emerged. Over 40 percent of Americans surveyed plan to travel more than seven hours, and nearly half (49 percent) will travel by plane.
Compared to the Fall 2021 Travel Index survey, which found that 68 percent of U.S. travelers had staycation-style getaways accessible by car or train, this year’s study clearly shows that Americans are ready to take trips gave me.
Additionally, over half of Americans (56 percent) are planning fall season trips of at least four nights, while a third (33 percent) are planning getaways lasting five nights or more. TripAdvisor also noted that the Labor Day holiday weekend period is set to be the most popular time of the season to travel.
Top 10 travel destinations in the US this fall:
Vegas, Nevada
New York, New York
Orlando, Florida
Honolulu, Hawaii
Lahaina, Hawaii
Key West, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
New Orleans, Louisiana
Miami Beach, Florida