Following the end of the tradition US summer travel season and what appears to have been a strong Labor Day Holiday Weekend, Longwoods International released its latest American Travel Sentiment Study. It looks at what is motivating American leisure travelers for the fall travel season and beyond. It finds visiting friends and family (53%) a key motivational driver during the fall, and road trips are also a popular activity with four in ten (43%). Other fall activities proving popular this year involve the outdoors, culture, and sports. Additionally, rest and relaxation also continue to be a top motivator. Four in ten travelers (40%) changed their leisure travel plans in the past year due to extreme weather events, with most modifying rather than canceling their trips. This has remained consistent since August 2024. For future leisure travel plans, a third of American travelers (33%) say the possibility of extreme weather events at a destination will impact their decision to travel there. Longwoods International suggests a need to think of new travel patterns (seasonality, destination selection) in response to the frequency of severe weather events in certain parts of the country. The survey shows very high demand continues among American travelers, While 32% indicate their concerns over personal finances, demand among American travelers is still near a survey record high level. The American Travel Sentiment Study.is supported by Miles Partnership.

  According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, 42% of them said that the political climate of destinations greatly impacts their travel decisions, up from 24% last September. Conversely, only 20% reported that a destination’s political climate had no impact on their destination choices, down from 30% in September.   “Politics in America is playing an ever larger role in the nation’s tourism economy,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “Political considerations are driving both a growing number of domestic travel choices and the desirability of the U.S. as a potential travel destination for international visitors from around the world.”   Regarding the cost of travel, 42% of travelers expect costs to be higher this year, while 17% expect travel prices to go down. In March, 31% of travelers indicated that airfare prices had a great impact on their future travel plans, up from 26% in January. Perceptions of travel costs do vary by political affiliation, with 57% of Democrats expecting price increases, compared with 43% for independents and 30% for Republicans.   The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded March 3, 2025 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.   Longwoods International is a leading travel and tourism research consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and Toronto Canada, and offices in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. It conducts Longwoods Travel USA®, the largest ongoing survey of American travelers, as well as image, advertising effectiveness, advertising return on investment, sentiment, and other custom research in 12 countries around the globe.

  According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, many of them view domestic travel as an opportunity to explore a rich cultural landscape across the country. Sixty-one percent cited a diverse range of food and music experiences when describing U.S. travel, while 57% agreed that domestic trips offer access to unique cultural traditions and places to visit.   “This data is a reminder of the power and appeal of cultural travel across America,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “When choosing a cultural travel destination, domestic travelers seek out historic sites and landmarks, traditional cuisine, museums and galleries, and rich local culture.”   Eighty-eight percent of travelers have confirmed travel plans the next six months, which is down from 93% a year ago. For those planning international travel, 43% will visit Europe, with 17% heading to both Asia and to Central America/the Caribbean. The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded February 4, 2025 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.   Longwoods International is a leading travel and tourism research consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and Toronto Canada, and offices in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. It conducts Longwoods Travel USA®, the largest ongoing survey of American travelers, as well as image, advertising effectiveness, advertising return on investment, sentiment, and other custom research in 12 countries around the globe.   More Information – Longwoods International: https://longwoods-intl.com/category/american-travel-sentiment/   More Information – Miles Partnership: https://www.milespartnership.com/

  According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, holiday travel planning points to a season comparable to 2023, with 19% predicting more travel than last year, 64% planning about the same amount of travel as 2023 and 18% expecting to travel less than last year. In contrast, a year ago 23% of travelers expected more holiday travel, 58% were planning about the same amount of travel, and 19% predicted less holiday travel than the previous year. Thirty percent of travelers say inflation will greatly impact their travel decisions in the next 12 months, up from 24% in July.   “Higher costs due to inflation and perceptions about the relative strength of the economy and job market appear to be making travelers more cautious about holiday travel planning when compared with 2023,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “If these trends continue as we get closer to the holidays, we can expect holiday travel and spending to be relatively flat for 2024.”   Twenty-three percent of travelers expect to spend more on travel this holiday season, down from 28% in 2023, likely reflecting recent lows in inflation having an impact on price expectations. And 55% of travelers expect to spend about the same on holiday travel this year, up from 49% in 2023.   The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded October 9, 2024 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.   Longwoods International is a leading travel and tourism research consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and Toronto Canada, and offices in Florida, North Carolina, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. It conducts Longwoods Travel USA®, the largest ongoing survey of American travelers, as well as image, advertising effectiveness, advertising return on investment, sentiment, and other custom research in 12 countries around the globe.