U.S. Traveler Intention Holds Steady for 2023

Despite growing economic concerns, U.S. travelers are holding on to their travel plans with six out of 10 planning to take a vacation in the next six months, according to the winter edition of the 2022 “Portrait of American Travelers.” The newest data, compiled by MMGY Travel Intelligence, found that economic concerns will impact how and when most Americans travel, but not if they’ll travel.

International travel plans are also holding steady. According to the data, 25% of U.S. adults who plan to travel in the next six months said they’ll be travelling internationally – up from 19% this same time last year, and the highest percentage seen in the past three years.  

“The American international traveler is typically a more affluent traveler and is therefore proportionately less impacted by rising costs and inflationary pressures,” said Chris Davidson, executive vice president of MMGY Travel Intelligence. “Furthermore, the relative strength of the U.S. dollar and the fact that foreign destinations are increasingly open and welcoming visitors support the notion that international travel will be an area of strength for the travel industry economy in 2023.)

Among the four out of 10 who aren’t planning to travel in the next six months, the top reasons cited were concerns about the high cost of travel (45%) and their personal financial situation (41%). Twenty-five percent also expressed having limited time available to travel in the immediate future – up significantly from just 9% who said the same thing in July.

OTAs for Price Shopping
Online travel agencies are a part of many travelers planning process, with 75% of active leisure travelers saying they consult at least one OTA on a regular basis when researching their travel. Most said they do so to compare prices and availability – 72%, up six points from 2021.

At the same time, 70% of travelers cite concerns about actually booking with an OTA, including concerns that canceling or rebooking may be more difficult than if they had booked directly with the travel service provider (42%).

While the winter edition of the “Portrait of American Travelers” didn’t ask about offline travel agencies, the summer edition, finding that 31% of active leisure travelers intend to use a travel advisors in the next two years — down from 36% in 2021. 

Cruise Ramping Up
In a positive sign for the cruise industry – and cruise-selling advisors – more than half of active leisure travelers (55%) expressed interest in taking a cruise in the next two years. Millennials, families with children and people with higher household incomes displayed the most interest in cruising.

Erosion of Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty has diminished slightly for many travelers, with only 40% characterizing themselves as being loyal to a hotel brand (44%), cruise line (30%) or an airline (45%). Marriott and American Airlines carry the highest favor in the hotel and airline category at 57% and 54%, respectively.