A survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) found that only 44 percent of Americans are planning overnight vacation or leisure travel in 2020, with high interest in road trips, family events and long weekends over the summer months. Sixty-eight percent of these expectant travelers say they are likely to stay in a hotel in 2020.
Among Americans planning to travel in 2020, 59 percent expect to take their first overnight trip by the end of the summer. Summer road trips will take center stage, with 72 percent planning an overnight vacation via car over the next five months. Of these, 75 percent expect to drive two or more hours.
On their next overnight trip, 43 percent plan to stay with family and friends and 39 percent plan to stay in a hotel; just nine percent plan to stay at a short-term rental such as Airbnb or VRBO, and five percent in a camper or RV. Nearly eight in ten (78 percent) are planning a trip of four days or less, suggesting long-weekend trips will be first vacation travel to return. The overwhelming majority do not expect to take cruises (14 percent), camper/RV trips (28 percent) or vacations via plane (32 percent) in 2020.
As for why they’re traveling: 55 percent plan to travel for a family event, such as a wedding, birthday, anniversary or family reunion; 50 percent plan to travel for Christmas, 43 percent for Thanksgiving, 33 percent for 4th of July, and 30 percent for Labor Day.
About 70 percent of Americans take a vacation in any given year, according to OmniTrak (TNS) data—suggesting that travel is a long way from pre-COVID-19 levels.
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of AHLA. The survey was conducted June 16-19, 2020 among a national sample of 2,200 adults.
Source: AHLA
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