Americans Will Travel In Record Numbers This Winter
More Americans are expected to take vacations this winter than last, with record numbers of travelers likely to head for the ski slopes of Colorado, the warm climes of California and the bustle of New York City’s streets, according to a survey released this week by two travel industry associations.
Travelers will take an estimated 152.7 million trips in December, January and February, a 5 percent increase from a year ago, said the Travel Industry Association of America. In a separate report, the American Automobile Association predicted 44.5 million people will travel in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a 5 percent rise from a year earlier.
The TIA forecast is based on a survey of 1,500 U.S. adults across the country; the AAA survey is based on interviews with its auto club and travel agency managers.
This year’s winter travel season is expected to top last year’s extremely busy season - even though Americans will be paying higher air fares and hotel rates. The travel industry is benefiting from strong gains in the U.S. economy, industry experts said, as consumers flush with cash and confident about their finances are spending a portion of their extra income on travel.
“At a very personal level, Americans are feeling good about their jobs, their wallets are healthy, they think the future looks bright, and they have been working hard - now they are ready to spend on a winter vacation,” said William S. Norman, TIA’s president and chief executive officer.
Consumers are traveling more even though the price tag for vacations is getting heftier. Travelers will spend an average of $1,008 on a trip of four nights or more, a 2.8 percent increase from a year ago, the TIA study said. The good news: Eighty percent of the 44.5 million travelers who will hit the road in the period between Christmas and New Year’s will find lower gasoline prices, said the AAA survey. The average price at the pump: $1.21 a gallon, 7 cents less than a year ago.
Bookings at AAA travel agencies are expected to increase an average of 11 percent, while its auto travel clubs estimate volume will climb 7 percent, said Graeme Clarke, senior vice president of travel-related services for AAA. “The travel industry couldn’t ask for a better present” during the holidays, Clarke said.
Although consumers plan to take more trips over fewer days, their choice of destinations hasn’t changed much. Florida and California remain the most popular winter destinations among travelers in the TIA study, followed by Hawaii, Nevada and Colorado. The top destinations by car are Orlando; Colorado ski resorts; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles, according to the AAA survey.