A new report by Deloitte suggests that the upcoming summer travel season is expected to be busy, with economic pressures driving Americans to reduce their vacation plans. The report indicates that this summer is poised to be even busier than the already booming summer of 2022. Half of Americans plan to spend their leisure time planning vacations with paid lodging this summer, while 13% plan to travel with friends and family. However, 50% of those who missed summer vacation said they could not afford to travel, and 24% said they felt that travel was too expensive at the moment.
The report also reveals that “revenge travel” is still being driven by the specter of COVID-19. One in five travelers reportedly planned their summer trips to make up for missed trips during the pandemic. Another interesting take from the report is that the U.S. traveler demographic has become more confident and has more time to plan ahead. Many are taking long-overdue dream trips, while many more are planning to add short vacations during the season.
Additional data suggests that more and more U.S. travelers are enjoying convenient and predictable international travel, now that most pandemic-related border restrictions have been lifted. The percentage of people planning to take international flights has increased more than 1.5-fold from 14% in 2022 to 22% this year. However, the Deloitte report indicates that the cruise industry remains far behind, with only 8% of respondents planning to take a cruise trip this summer.
Despite these trends, the report suggests that people are staying home more this summer, with only 6% of non-travelers saying they are likely to be disrupted by flight delays or cancellations.