The poll conducted by Ipsos surveyed 1,000 residents in each of 15 countries. Among US consumers, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) say they intend to travel this summer – a 3 percent increase over last year. Americans plan to increase travel budgets, with those surveyed planning to spend $3,013 this year – a 6 percent increase over 2022.
Over a third of US survey respondents (37 percent) said their summer travel will be a domestic trip with almost as high a percentage opting for a trip abroad (33 percent).
However, nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of those planning a summer trip had not booked it yet at the time the survey was done in mid-March, with many of those saying they will wait to shop for last-minute deals.
The main concern for travelers in all countries is inflation and rising prices, cited as a top worry for 61 percent of US travelers. In contrast, even before the World Health Organization declared an end to the pandemic, COVID-19 had fallen to the bottom of the list, still a concern to 34 percent of Americans.
“With each passing summer we see a return to normalcy in the summer travel season with 75 percent of Americans surveyed saying they were excited to travel this year,” said Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance. “A decrease in early bookings according to findings shows signs of a growing trend of travelers looking for flexibility by waiting to book closer to their travel date.”
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