By the Numbers
School’s out for the summer, and a lot of us are heading for the mountains—or the beach. Summertime is when many people take family vacations, go camping, or plan road trips with friends.
Regardless of the destination, travel definitely ranks high on the list of favorite summer activities.
$62,500 | The average income for leisure travelers in the united states. |
Travelers who have children younger than eighteen plan to spend an average of $2,256 on their family vacation(s) this year, with more than seven out of ten families willing to fork over at least $1,000 per trip. The average baby boomer, on the other hand, anticipates taking four to five leisure trips, with a budget of $6,300 across all trips.
53 | The average number of days travelers spent researching before finalizing their travel plans. |
The internet has changed the way we travel. During those fifty-three days, travelers visited an average of twenty-eight different websites over a period of approximately seventy-six online sessions. Half of travelers check social media for tips before setting out on their vacations. The digital travel space is expected to expand at an annual rate of 3.8 percent over the next decade, reaching $11.4 trillion.
1 in 4 | The number of families that plan to take three or more family vacations in the next year. |
That number is up 12 percent from 2016. Three-quarters of those families are taking off to a destination they have not previously visited. For new travel experiences, the top three objectives are destinations with attractions (such as lakes or theme parks), sightseeing, and relaxation.
60% | The percentage of travelers who take “bleisure” trips (trips that combine business and leisure). |
Of those travelers, 30 percent add at least two additional days to their travel itinerary. Bleisure travelers are split almost evenly between male and female, with most falling into the 45- to 54-year-old age group. In addition, almost 55 percent of these travelers bring family members with them.
15,300,000 | The number of jobs in the united states supported by travelers. |
One out of nine jobs in the United States depend on travel and tourism, and travel and tourism makes up 2.7 percent of the nation’s GDP. International travelers coming from overseas directly supported about 1.2 million US jobs and provided $32.4 billion in wages, with each traveler who comes from overseas spending approximately $4,360 and staying an average of eighteen nights.
284 | The average number of miles driven on a summer road trip in the united states. |
Florida, California, New York, and North Carolina are the most popular destinations for stateside road trippers, while Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Europe top the list of international travel hot spots.
Sources for all numbers: AAA 2018 survey, NerdWallet 2018 survey, World Travel & Tourism Council Report, BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, the US Travel Association, and CMO.com.
