Global Travel News: Expedia Group Media Solutions reveals habits, behaviors of the American traveler

Americans take on average 4.4 trips per year*. Now imagine what that number could be if they used all of their vacation days instead of accruing unused PTO. According to U.S. Travel, Americans racked up 768 million days of unused PTO in 2018.

National Plan for Vacation Day, on January 28, brings this conversation to light by encouraging Americans, at the start of the year, to plan out their vacation days for the whole year. Ahead of National Plan For Vacation Day, Expedia Group Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, reveals the travel habits, preferences and influences of American travelers, offering insight into how they plan for trips.

Insights include:

Trip length: Americans take trips that are on average 6.7 days long, which is among the shortest trip duration compared to other regions - and they’re mainly traveling domestically (82%)
Open to inspiration: Americans are open-minded travelers who are deciding between two or more destinations (nearly 60%) and seeking help and inspiration during the travel planning process (nearly 80%)
Influenced by ads: Ads with informative content are most likely to influence older American travelers, while younger generations are most likely to be influenced by advertising with appealing deals
Social influence: Nearly 90% of American Gen Z travelers said their decisions are influenced by social media, either through searches or online connections such as family and friends - Boomers, however, say they are not influenced by social media
Vacation priorities: While Americans look for the best deals and the most value for their dollar, they ultimately prioritize activities and experiences as most important, over lowest price, when planning a vacation
Types of trips: Visiting family is the most important type of travel for Americans - especially for Boomers and Gen Z - followed by relaxing trips and sightseeing - most important to Millennials and Gen X
On the road: While nearly 60% get to their destination by plane, road trips are alive and well with automobiles being the second most popular transportation option for American travelers.