Accentuated by upticks in brand loyalty and outbound tourism, Americans expressed their strong appetite for travel in the Winter Edition of MMGY’s Portrait of American Travelers study. A quarterly examination of the evolving habits, preferences and behaviors of today’s U.S. travel consumers, the survey found that nearly 8 in 10 U.S. adults plan to take a vacation in the next 12 months, a 7% increase since winter 2023.
Americans are eager to explore in 2025, with plans to spend significantly more and take more trips in the year ahead as the average vacation budget climbs to $5,051 and travel frequency rises to 4.1 trips per person.
“Americans’ intent to travel is reaching its highest level in almost four years, eclipsing even the spikes we saw in the immediate post-pandemic surge,” said Simon Moriarty, VP, research and analytics, MMGY Travel Intelligence. “Our survey found that Americans are increasingly devoting larger portions of their disposable incomes to vacations, signaling a conscious choice to prioritize experiences and a robust commitment to travel in 2025.”
Additional highlights from the report follow.
- Brand loyalty: Signaling the rising importance of driving repeat business, the survey identified a significant increase in brand loyalty across all sectors—with airlines and hotels witnessing extensive growth in their loyalty program memberships. Hotel loyalty program members grew 6% since 2023, while airlines observed an even larger growth of 8%.
- Shifting influences: Though their perceived authenticity may be waning over time, social media content creators and influencers were found to be more influential than celebrities when it comes to travel decisions. More than half (51%) of respondents said that they had been influenced “somewhat” or “a great deal” by influencers, compared to 41% by celebrities.
- Traveling abroad: Interest in international travel over the next six months is at its highest level since 2020, with far more travelers than in previous years planning trips between November and April. The low-cost and less-crowded nature of off-peak vacations continues to be alluring to American travelers.
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