03/22/2024
Updates 03/22/2024: Ohio's Travel Industry and Current Travel Research
AMERICANS PLAN TO VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS MORE THAN IN 2023; AMERICAN TRAVELERS ALSO GIVE INSIGHT TO HOW FAR AND HOW LONG THEY PLAN TO TRAVEL FOR THE TOTAL ECLIPSE.
Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded March 6:
- As of March 6, 21% of American travelers plan to travel by car to see family and relatives within 200 miles of home. Meanwhile, 16% plan to travel more than 200 miles to do the same.
- Visiting family and friends has increased since 2024 with 54% of American travelers reporting on their next leisure trip to visit friends and family compared to 47% saying the same in 2023.
- Other activities travelers plan to do in 2024 on their next leisure trip include shopping (44%), exploring a city (44%), taking a road trip (39%), and going to the beach/waterfront (39%).
- American travelers also reported what influences greatly impact them when planning a leisure vacation:
- 36% said past visitation or personal experiences in destinations.
- 23% said recommendations from family and friends.
- 10% said television or streaming travel and food shows.
- 7% said content from travel accounts/influencer social media posts.
- With the Total Eclipse right around the corner, American travelers give input on whether they plan to travel at least 50 miles from home:
- 14% plan to travel at least 50 miles from home.
- 8% plan to travel less than 50 miles from home.
- 37% do not plan to travel and will view the Total Eclipse from home.
- 26% do not want to view the Total Eclipse.
- Among those who plan to travel at least 50 miles from their home, 43% plan to spend 1-2 nights away from home, 37% plan to return home the same day, 20% plan to spend 3-5 nights away from home, and 10% will spend more than five nights away from home.
CONVENTION AND GROUP MEETING TRAVELERS ANTICIPATE SIMILAR PARTICIPATION TO LAST YEAR. WITH MILLENNIALS BEING THE LEADER IN CONVENTION TRAVEL, THEY ALSO SAY THEY MAKE THE DECISION ON WHAT EVENTS TO ATTEND AND BELIEVE VISITING DESTINATIONS ALIGNED WITH THEIR PERSONAL/POLITICAL VIEWS IS IMPORTANT IN DECISION-MAKING.
Key findings from Future Partners (formally known as Destination Analyst), fielded Feb. 2024:
- When asking convention and group meeting travelers how organizations are currently making decisions about convention travel, 58% said they expect their company to travel about the same for business in 2024 as in 2023, and 22% expect to see more or much more business travel next year.
- Gen Z (31%) and Millennials (33%) are the most likely to travel for conventions/conferences in 2024.
- Business group travel is partly self-driven. More than half of Millennial convention travelers (50%) say they decide alone which work-related conventions/conferences they attend. In contrast, 26% of Gen Z, 20% of Millennials, 34% of Gen X, and 30% of Baby Boomers reported it is a decision for their employer.
- 57% of Millennial convention travelers agree or strongly agree that they will only travel to a convention if the destination aligns with their personal/political views.