Travel is back! That’s according to RetailMeNot’s 2023 Spring Travel and Spending survey, which shows Americans are ready to hit the road and the skies this spring and summer.
RetailMeNot asked more than 1,000 U.S. consumers about their travel plans for spring and summer of 2023 and found that 96% of the general population is planning on taking one to three trips between March and May. During these trips, 67% are planning to visit multiple cities.
Reinforced by the resurgence and resilience of the travel industry, ski trips, beach destinations and new adventures will be on the minds (and in the budgets) of shoppers in 2023. As the majority of Americans (96%) are planning to escape to a winter wonderland or tropical paradise March through May, RetailMeNot’s Spring Savecation event (March 10-14) will not only help savvy shoppers finalize their accommodations and transportation but will ensure maximum savings on all the nitty-gritty of trip planning.
Why the Renewed Interest in Travel?
Feeding the wanderlust is a post-pandemic desire for experiences over things; 66% of American consumers say they prefer an experience over material purchases. As far as what kind of experiences Americans hope to have during their travels, 40% mention the main reason for their trip is to unwind. Specifically, Americans’ top desired travel experiences include experiencing culture and history by going sightseeing (64%), taking tours (42%) and visiting museums (33%). Plenty are also looking forward to outdoor activities, including hiking (25%), water sports (16%), scuba diving (6%) and extreme sports (6%).
Our survey found that, among all consumers who will be traveling, 67% of them are planning to visit multiple cities in their trips. We also saw consumers are expected to take more international vacations than they had in 2019 (+72%).
How Much are Consumers Spending on Their Spring Travel?
Consumers are spending more on travel this year. From our survey, over half (54%) of consumers confirmed that they will spend more on travel this coming spring compared to prior years – we found that consumers will be spending an average of $3,250 on their travel for this year. Here’s the breakdown:
Average planned spend:
- Experiences/activities: $990.80
- Hotel/lodging: $893.48
- Flights: $845.38
- Transportation: $520.71
We also asked what influences Americans’ likelihood of travel purchases and found that price (29%) and recommendations from friends and family (14%) are the biggest determining factors when it comes to deciding which activities and experiences they’ll choose for their upcoming vacations. In other words, price is the most important factor for those weighing their travel options this year.
When booking your experiences and activities for this big trip, which of the following would most impact the likelihood of you making a purchase?
Consumers will also be purchasing a wide array of essential travel products for their trips:
- Clothes: 56%
- Toiletries: 44%
- Shoes: 38%
- Sanitation Products: 36%
- Swimwear: 31%
- Skincare & Beauty: 30%
- Suitcase: 30%
- Small electronic accessories: 24%
- At-home COVID tests: 23%
Promotions and strong offer content are necessary for users, as 61% agree that the increase in gas and flight costs will impact their travel. In other words, while Americans are eager to spend on travel, they’re still factoring it into their overall budget and looking for deals.
How are Consumers Booking Their Travel for Spring?
We also dug in to see how consumers approach booking their travel. Our data revealed top trends in terms of search and inspiration, with a focus on finding the best deals for travel.
As consumers plan their spring travel, their greatest source of inspiration is price (23%), followed by word-of-mouth (22%). Reviews also play a factor (14%).
As spring travel research begins, Google is consumers’ first stop at (48%), but the process can be extensive, as over half of consumers search multiple sites when booking travel (52%). Throughout their travel research, price plays a major role across all travel areas: lodging, activities and flights.
Consumers go-to sites during their travel booking research are:
- Expedia.com: 40%
- Hotels.com: 34%
- TripAdvisor: 33%
- Booking.com: 30%
- Direct airline sites: 28%
- Priceline: 27%
- Airbnb: 25%
- Social media: 21%
- Kayak: 16%
- Vrbo: 10%
- Kayak: 16%
- Orbitz: 10%
- Direct car rental sites: 11%
Travel Frustrations & Concerns in 2023
Travel does have its challenges, and American consumers have some frustrations and concerns. First in their list of concerns is inflation; 66% agree that inflation is impacting where and how they travel. Along the same lines, the high cost of transportation (gas, flights, rental cars) further causes consumers frustration (25%).
Second, while at times COVID seems to be a thing of the past, consumers are continuing to express concern. Whether it’s stress lingering from the pandemic or consumers simply developing new and more cautious habits, close to half (47%) of consumers agree that COVID is still a top concern for them when traveling. Along with that sentiment, 17% of consumers are concerned with the idea of experiencing large crowds on trips, and 23% say they’ll be purchasing at-home COVID tests for their trips. Flight cancellations (17%) are also a concern.
Travelers Can Save More With RetailMeNot’s Spring Savecation Event
With all of the travel planned for spring and summer, RetailMeNot is hosting its Spring Savecation event to help shoppers save money on their upcoming vacations with amazing travel deals from March 10-14. Travel planners will find deal son hotels, flights, car rentals and more. Top retailers such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz and Vrbo are already confirmed to participate with special offers during the event.
Methodology:
Source: Ziff Media Group, Q4 2022 Travel Survey, General Population. N= 1,129. U.S. adults 18+ planning to travel in the spring and summer of 2023. Data collected between Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2022.
The post Spring & Summer Travel By the Numbers: Travel is BACK for 2023 appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
