The Destinations Edition

The State of the American Traveler

TM

DESTINATIONS EDITION

Winter 2019 | Volume 31

be attaching somewhat less importance to leisure travel

spending this year. This report additionally takes a deep dive

into the destinations Americans are wanting to explore in

the upcoming year. If you should have questions or ideas for

future survey topics, we welcome you to message us:

info@destinationanalysts.com or

@DA_Research.

THE DESTINATIONS EDITION of The State of the American

TravelerTM explores ideas and concepts around where and

why people travel. As always, we start with an examination

of the current leisure travel landscape, which features a

somewhat darkened traveler mood. Demand for leisure travel

will likely remain strong this year, but American expectations

for increased leisure travel in the next year has weakened.

When planning their budgets, Americans also appear to

Destination Analysts’

info@destinationanalysts.com @DA_Research

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01

THE STATE OF THE AMERICAN TRAVELER SURVEY is conducted quarterly by

Destination Analysts, Inc., a San Francisco-based tourism industry research company.

The survey is conducted online amongst a nationally representative sample of adult

Americans. From January 4th to the 12th, 2019, surveys were collected from a group

of respondents who were then screened by their leisure travel behavior. Only those

respondents who had traveled at least once in the past 12 months for purely leisure

or personal reasons were interviewed. This travel must have been of at least 50 miles

one-way — the standard distance threshold used in the tourism industry to signify that

a “trip” has been taken. In total, 2,000 leisure travelers completed the survey. With this

sample size, the top line data presented here can be considered to have a reliability of +/-

2.2%. This information is provided “as is” and intended for informational purposes only.

It should not be relied upon for operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial

or other advice. Destination Analysts is not responsible for your use of the information

contained herein (including errors, omissions, inaccuracy or non-timeliness of any kind)

or any assumptions or conclusions you might draw from its use.

American Travel Expectations

Travel as a Budget Priority

How American Leisure Travel

Destination Brand Performance

The Top 20: Destination Hotlist

Destination Expectations, 2019

Climate Change and Travel

Methodology

Contents

02

03

04

05

07

08

10

02

THE NEW YEAR has started with undertones of

considerable uncertainty. While economic indicators

had remained strong for much of the past year, talk of

a slowdown now is in the wind. Sluggish growth, trade

wars, higher interest rates, inverted yield curves, political

gridlock and government shutdowns are all part of the

conversation. We are currently experiencing what may

be early signs of a pessimistic shift in the collective

traveler psyche, as our latest sentiment tracking

survey point toward a potential weakening of the

domestic leisure travel market. In our most recent

survey wave, the percent of travelers who said they

expect to travel more in the next 12 months decreased.

Only 33.4 percent said they would be taking more

trips, compared to 37.0 percent one year earlier.

This moderate degree of pessimism seen in trip

expectations also extends to future travel spending.

When asked if they expect to spend more in the

upcoming year on leisure travel, only 32.2 percent

of American leisure travelers said that they would

be beefing up their expenditures. This is down from

36.5 percent one year ago.

1 Travel Expectations & Travel Spending Expectations

Travel Expectations (Trips) Travel Expectations (Spending)

JAN 2019 58.0%

33.4%

8.7%

57.1%

32.2%

10.7%

expect moreTHE KEY: expect the same expect less

0 030 3010 1020 2040 4050 50 6060Percentage

JAN 2018

APR 2018

OCT 2017

55.6%

56.4%

37.0%

37.6%

7.4%

6.1%

54.6%

38.2%

7.2%

54.0%

55.3%

36.5%

37.1%

9.4%

7.6%

54.6%

35.8%

9.6%

OCT 2018 54.5%

37.5%

8.0%

53.1%

36.9%

10.1%

JULY 2018 57.4%

32.5%

10.1%

55.6%

31.7%

12.7%

Q: In the next 12 months, do you expect to

travel more or less for leisure than you did in

the most recent 12 month period?

Q: In the next 12 months, do you expect

to spend more or less for leisure travel than

you did in the most recent 12 month period?

03

2

0% 25% 30%10% 15%5% 20%

EXTREMELY HIGH PRIORITY 11.9%

SOMEWHAT LOW PRIORITY 5.9%

SOMEWHAT HIGH PRIORITY 28.7%

EXTREMELY LOW PRIORITY 2.1%

HIGH PRIORITY 19.0%

LOW PRIORITY 3.3%

NEUTRAL - NEITHER HIGH NOR LOW PRIORITY 29.0%

36

43

.26

13

Travel volume and spending expectations have softened, but potentially more unsettling is a drop in the general sentiment

of how important leisure travel is as a budgetary item. Once a year, we ask how much priority travelers intend to place on leisure

travel as they allocate their family budgets. At this time last year, nearly two-thirds of American leisure travelers (65.3%) said

that leisure travel would be at least a “somewhat high priority.” This year, the corresponding figure has sharply dropped

to 59.6 percent. The chart below shows the results from this year.

Q: How much IN TOTAL is the maximum

you will spend on leisure travel (including

airfare, accommodations and all other trip

related spending) during the NEXT TWELVE

(12) MONTHS?

In another concerning sign for leisure

travel in the upcoming year, Americans are

expecting to decrease their budgets for this

activity this year. The typical traveler says

they will spend nearly $3,649 this year,

down 5.6 percent from one year ago.

Travel budgets down 5.6% in past year

$3000

$2000

$3500

$2500

$4000

Summer

2015

Summer

2016

Summer

2017

Summer

2018

Winter

2018

Winter

2019

Winter

2016

Winter

2017

$3

64

3

$3

86

5

$3

54

4

$3

133

$3

64

9

$3

38

1

$3

44

5

$3

26

4

Travel as a Budget Priority Slips

Leisure Travel Spending: Priority in Household Budget

Q: Thinking carefully about how

you expect to spend your income in

the NEXT 12 MONTHS, please use the

scale below to describe your spending

priorities in next year. (Select one)

59.6%

Down from 65.3% last year

Top 3 Box Score:

04

3.1

In the past year, the average American leisure traveler took 4.02 trips (50 miles or more away from their home for purely leisure

reasons.) This is down by about one half a trip from one year earlier, when the typical leisure traveler reported taking 4.57 trips.

How Americans Travel for Leisure

45.6% DAY TRIPS(50 miles+ from home with no overnight stay)

31.0% VISITED A NATIONAL PARK OR MONUMENT

32.8% TRAVELED WITH OWN CHILDREN

30.4% VISITED A THEME OR AMUSEMENT PARK

33.4% VISITED A STATE OR

REGIONAL PARK

18.2% TRAVELEDTO ATTEND A

FESTIVAL OR SPECIAL EVENT

27.1% MULTIGENERATIONAL TRIPS

(3 or more generations traveling together)

82.1% ROAD TRIPS(Primarily by automobile)

58.7% REGIONAL TRIPS

(200 miles from home maximum)

54.1% PLANE TRIPS(Trip included air component)

24.6% INTERNATIONAL TRIPS

(Traveled outside the USA)

10.2% TRAIN TRIPS(Intercity trip)

13.1% CRUISE TRIPS

(One or more night on board)

3.32

3.31

2.23

2.091.70

1.67

1.77

AV

G #

OF

TR

IPS

(Am

on

g th

ose

takin

g

each

typ

e trip

)

2.22

Percent of Travelers Taking Each Trip Type

05

3.2 Destination SelectionWord of mouth is still by far the most relied upon way people find travel inspiration. Two thirds of American

travelers say they rely on the in-person opinions of friends and relatives, while nearly one third percent get

this information from social media. Still, differences by age group are significant.

Q: Please think specifically about how you get your inspiration for the

destinations you want to visit domestically. Which would you typically use to

find destination ideas and inspiration? (Select all that apply)

65.5%

21.8%

40.6%

27.5%

11.5%

6.8%

Opinions of friends and relatives — in-person

and/or through direct contact (email, text, etc.)

Offline Media — TV, printed newspapers,

magazines, etc.

All Online Media — Internet travel content (includes

business websites, blogs, podcasts, video, etc.)

Travel agencies or tour operators

Movies

0 3010 60 704020 50% of Travelers Using for Destination Inspiration

Opinions of friends and relatives —

via social media websites

GEN Z 42.3%

MILLENIALS 41.3%

GEN X 30.8%

BABY BOOMERS 13.1%

PRE-BOOMERS 5.5%

GEN Z 15.3%

MILLENIALS 19.3%

GEN X 22.9%

BABY BOOMERS 25.4%

PRE-BOOMERS 17.4%

16.5% Online video travel content

06

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Likely to Visit (Next 3 Years)(% of American Leisure Travelers)

De

stin

ati

on

Rate

d “

Ap

pe

alin

g”

or

“Extr

em

ely

Ap

pe

alin

g”

(%

of

Am

eri

can

Leis

ure

Tra

vele

rs)

*Bubble placement is approximate

Low-tier familiarity20%-0%

Mid-tier familiarity30%-20%

Top-tier familiarity50%-30%

The scatter diagram below illustrates a selection of the destinations ranked by appeal and likelihood of visitation.

The size of individual bubbles represents traveler familiarity with the place as a leisure destination. While the

relationship between a destination’s appeal and traveler likelihood of visiting is obvious, comparing destinations

in detail reveals the complexities of their brand positions.

Destination Brand Performance4

Familiarity, Appeal and Likelihood of Visitation

Anchorage

Sonoma County

Newport Beach, CA

Santa Barbara County

Branson

Rapid City, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands area

Oklahoma City

Detroit

St. Louis

New Orleans

Seattle

Napa Valley

Nashville

San Antonio

Phoenix

Portland

St. Petersburg / Clearwater

Chicago

Hilton Head Island

AtlantaDallas

Baltimore

Minneapolis - St. Paul

OrlandoLas Vegas

Hawaii

New York City

Los Angeles

San FranciscoSan Diego

Washington, DC

Boston

Miami

Anaheim/DisneylandPhiladelphia

07

5 The Top 20: Destination Hotlist

When asked in an open-ended format, which destinations travelers most want to visit in the next year,

nearly one in four (17.4%) wrote in The Big Apple. Close behind was Las Vegas, at 15.8 percent. The popularity

of Europe with American travelers is also clear, with the top two foreign destinations being the United

Kingdom (13.5%) and France (12.7%)

New York City Tops the Domestic Charts

NEW YORK CITYLAS VEGAS

ORLANDO/DISNEY WORLD

FLORIDA

LOS ANGELES

HAWAII

WASHINGTON DC

CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

MIAMI

SAN FRANCISCO

ATLANTA

SAN DIEGO

SEATTLE

NEW ORLEANS

YELLOWSTONE NP

GRAND CANYON NP

BOSTON

17.4%15.8%

10.1%

9.1%

7.1%

6.1%

5.7%

5.6%

5.5%

5.1%

4.9%

4.9%

4.3%

4.2%

3.7%

3.7%

3.7%

3.3%

13.5%12.7%

12.2%

11.2%

8.7%

6.7%

5.5%

5.5%

5.4%

5.1%

4.1%

3.8%

3.7%

2.4%

2.3%

2.2%

1.8%

1.0%

UNITED KINGDOMFRANCE

ITALY

CANADA

MEXICO

IRELAND

GERMANY

SPAIN

JAPAN

AUSTRALIA

JAMAICA

GREECE

CHINA

BAHAMAS

HOLLAND

BRAZIL

NEW ZEALAND

SWITZERLAND

Domestic Hotlist International Hotlist% of American Leisure Travelers % of American Leisure Travelers

0808

16 = WINTER 2016 17 = WINTER 2017 18 = WINTER 2018 19 = WINTER 2019

Q: In the next 12 months, HOW MANY TRIPS will you take that will include each of the following types of leisure destinations?

6.1 Destination Expectations, 2019

% Planning to visit on

leisure trip (next 12 Months)

Expected # of leisure trips (next 12 Months)

MOUNTAIN DESTINATION/RESORT

SMALL TOWNS, VILLAGES, OR RURAL DESTINATIONS/ATTRACTIONS

BEACH DESTINATION/RESORT

CITIES OR METROPOLITAN AREAS

0

40

20

60

10

50

30

70

80

0

1.00

0.50

0.25

1.25

0.75

1.75

2.00

2.25

1.50

% Change vs. 4 years ago

-6.7% 3.3%-12.2% 0.7%-18.4% 2.8%-11.9% 4.3%

Where are Americans planning to travel in the upcoming year, and how is this changing? For the past 4 years

we have asked what destination types were under consideration and how many trips to each would travelers take.

Cities and metropolitan areas continue top the list as the most visited destination type. However, in the past five

years, the percent of American leisure travelers saying at the start of the year that they expect to visit a city

or metro are has dropped significantly.

71.

6%

1.6

1.1

67.

0%

1.3

1.0

66

.1%

1.6

1.0

62

.9%

1.4

56

.0%

62

.0%

57.2

%

56

.4%

30.0

%

31.8

%

28.7

%

31.0

%

51.0

%

51.5

%

49

.4%

47.

7%

16 16 1616 18 18 1818 17 17 1717 19 19 1919

0.9

0.9

0.5

1.1

0.5

1.0

0.5

1.0

0.5

0909

16 = WINTER 2016 17 = WINTER 2017 18 = WINTER 2018 19 = WINTER 2019

6.2 Destination Expectations, 2019 Continued

0

40

20

60

10

50

30

70

80

0

1.00

0.50

0.25

1.25

0.75

1.75

2.00

2.25

1.50

% Change vs. 4 years ago

16 1817 19

STATE, COUNTY, OR REGIONAL PARKS OR RECREATION AREAS

31.8

%

38.8

%

31.9

%

33.3

%

4.7% -3.4%

16 1817 19

31.6

%

39.5

%

33.0

%

30.6

%

U.S. NATIONAL PARKS

-3.5% -2.4%

37.0

%

39.8

%

39.4

%

35.5

%

16 1817 19

THEME OR AMUSEMENT PARKS

-4.3% 3.0%

15.4

% 18.6

%

17.6

%

16.8

%

16 1817 19

DESERT DESTINATIONS/RESORTS

9.3% 2.4%

Q: In the next 12 months, HOW MANY TRIPS will you take that will include each of the following types of leisure destinations?

0.3

0.6

0.5

0.6

0.3

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.3

0.6

0.5

0.6

0.3

0.6

0.5

0.6

% Planning to visit on

leisure trip(next 12 Months)

Expected # of leisure trips(next 12 Months)

10

% of American leisure travelers expect that climate change will impact their travels at some point in the next 5 years.50

7

Climate Change and Travel ExpectationsClimate change is on the minds of many American leisure travelers. In fact, fully half (50%) say that

they expect it to impact their travels in one way or another at some point in the next five years. Most

commonly, travelers reported that climate change would effect the time of year in which they travel.

One in five, however, said they choose it will change the destinations they visit.

Q: Which of the

following describe

the ways (if any) that

you expect climate

change will impact

your travels in the next

5 years? In the next

5 years, I anticipate

climate change will

_______________ .

20.9% CHANGE THE DESTINATIONS I CHOOSE TO VISIT

15.2% CHANGE HOW I TRAVEL

28.5% CHANGE THE TIMING OF MY TRIPS

11

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