Beat the Heat: 176 Million Americans Gearing Up for Summer Getaways

Published on : Friday, May 30, 2014

american-expressMore Americans will find relief from the heat this summer, with 75% planning a summer getaway (steadily rising from 69% in 2013 and 59% in 2012). In addition, nearly half of travelers plotting a trip to cool off at a beach, river or lake, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. More travelers will stay closer to home, with 70% planning to explore the U.S. this summer (vs. 65% in 2013), while 17% plan a trip overseas (on par with 2013), and a lucky 13% of travelers plan to do both (vs. 15% in 2013). No matter their final destination, travelers will dig a little deeper in their wallets: consumers expect to pay $1,246 per person, up 9% from last year.
 

“After a long and harsh winter, more Americans are pledging to hit the road this summer,” said Claire Bennett, Executive Vice President at American Express Travel. “Travelers are doing their homework and taking more time to plan their trips, ensuring they get the best deal possible without sacrificing those little extras that make their trips special.”
 

Have Vacation Days, Will Travel
With Americans receiving 14 vacation days per year on average, many plan to take advantage of the summer to utilize their time off for extended getaways: 69% are planning at least one full week trip this summer (vs. 66% in 2013) and a lucky 32% say they’ll get away for two weeks or longer (vs. 29% in 2013).

 
Weekend getaways have also become more popular as 67% report they’ll hit the road at least one weekend (vs. 59% on 2013), with the average summer traveler taking three weekend trips. Holiday weekend trips are more common with more than half of summer travelers (54% vs. 45% in 2013) planning to take advantage of holiday weekends to stretch their trips:
Holiday Weekend
2014
2013
2012
Fourth of July
41%
31%
30%
Labor Day
29%
23%
21%
Memorial Day
28%
24%
25%

 

InfoGraphic 2

Family First, and Don’t Forget Fido
Travelers are bringing along those who matter most for their summer trips, with most Americans planning a getaway with their immediate families (78% vs. 74% in 2013). “Friend-cations” are also up this year; 16% of travelers say they’ll hit the road with a group of friends (vs. 11% in 2013). Not wanting to leave their best friends behind, 51% of summer travelers say they’re likely to bring their pets along for the fun.

 
No matter who they’re with, summer travelers will embrace their sea creature, with two of the top five vacation activities revolving around fun in the water;

 

the top five include:

Hitting beaches, rivers and lakes (45% vs. 44% in 2013)
Shopping (41% vs. 37% in 2013)
Visiting to museums or other cultural activities (32%, on par with 2013)
Attending family reunions (32% vs. 27% in 2013)
Visiting a water park (27% vs. 23% in 2013)

 

Reigning in the Budget by Trading off and Hunting Bargains
With spending 9% higher this year, more travelers say they’re looking for ways to reduce costs (91% vs. 88% in 2013) or make tradeoffs to afford their trips (60% vs. 57% in 2013),

 

 

employing a variety of ways to stretch their budgets:

Drive instead of fly (44% vs. 39% in 2013)
Stay at a property with a kitchen to enable cooking in (30% vs. 23% in 2013)
Choose a less expensive destination (28% vs. 23% in 2013)
Travel outside peak periods (24% vs. 19% in 2013)
Shorten their trips (33%, on par with 2013)

 
InfoGraphic 1
Travelers are also planning early to help them save: most will plan trips at least a month in advance (64%, on par with 2013). On average, summer travelers expect to visit five websites and spend nearly six hours planning their trips.
 

For many, the time will be spent finding the best deal.  A third (33%) of travelers plan to spend more time bargain hunting this year, up from 27% in 2013. Online tools continue to be the top resource for booking summer travel, with 63% turning to the internet to book their trips (vs. 56% in 2013). More than one in ten travelers will turn to the expertise of a travel agent, a figure that has risen 40% since 2012.

 

 

Source:- American Express

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