Where Do Americans Travel?
According to a poll of travel agents conducted by Fodor's and the American Society of Travel Agents, published online by TravelSense.org, the top ten domestic vacation destinations for Americans in 2004 were Orlando, Las Vegas, New York City, San Francisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles, the Hawaiian Islands, Miami, New Orleans, and San Diego. A poll of visitors to the TravelSense Web site revealed a similar list, with their top responses consisting of Las Vegas, Hawaii, Orlando, New York, San Francisco, Alaska, Miami, Maui, Florida, and Disney World.
The top states to visit in 2003, according to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), were California, Florida, and Texas. Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois made up the rest of the TIA's list of top ten destination states.
The U.S. Department of Transportation periodically conducts surveys of the travel habits of Americans. The most recent such effort, the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, (NHTS; 2003), reported that Americans took nearly 2.6 billion trips of fifty miles or more during that year. Almost 98% of these trips were to destinations in the United States, with only 2.2% to destinations out-side the United States. More than 62% of trips were to locations within the traveler's home state. (See Table 7.1 and Figure 7.1.)
TABLE 7.1
| Long-distance trips and miles by destination, 2001 | ||
| Trips(precent) | Miles(precent) | |
| SOURCE: "Table A-25. Long-Distance Trips and Miles by Destination, in Percent," in National Household Travel Survey Highlights Report, U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2003, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_household_travel_survey/highlights_of_the_2001_national_household_travel_survey/pdf/entire.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004) | ||
| International | 2.2 | 16.4 |
| Different region | 10.9 | 33.3 |
| Different state, different division, same region | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Different state, same division | 17.0 | 13.8 |
| Same state | 62.4 | 26.7 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Means of Travel
The NHTS reported that the total of domestic miles traveled by U.S. citizens taking long-distance trips in 2001 was 1,360 trillion. Of this total, more than half were taken by personal vehicle (760.3 billion), with air travel accounting for most of the remainder (557.6 billion). Bus travel (27.1 billion) and trains (10.5 billion) were used far less. (See Table 7.2.)
The mode of travel varied with distance. For trips of 100–299 miles, 97.2% of trips were taken by personal vehicle, with just 1.6% by bus and 0.9% by train. These proportions were similar for trips of between 300–499 miles and 500–999 miles, with 10.3% of the latter trips taken by air, but for trips of between 1,000 and 1,999 miles, vehicle (53.9%) and air (42.4%) were in closer competition. Almost three-quarters of trips over two thousand miles were taken by air. (See Table 7.3.)
AIR TRAVEL DECLINES. The entire travel industry, including hospitality and other tourism-dependent businesses, was hit hard following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After four airplanes were hijacked and used as missiles to attack New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and (unsuccessfully) one other target in Washington, D.C., numerous gaps in airplane security were discovered, and the number of Americans willing to travel by air dropped sharply.
On November 19, 2001, President George W. Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (PL 107-71), which established the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) within the Department of Transportation (later shifted to the Department of Homeland Security). The agency soon began implementing a number of new maritime, ground transportation, and aviation security programs, which included replacing private airport security screeners with TSA employees and requiring strengthened cockpit doors on planes. The organization was later charged with training airline pilots who
TABLE 7.2
| Long-distance trips and trip miles by mode, 2001 | |||
| Total trips (millions) | Median miles | Total miles (millions) | |
| SOURCE: "Table A-22. Long-Distance Trips and Trip Miles by Mode, in Millions," in National Household Travel Survey Highlights Report, U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2003, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_household_travel_survey/highlightsof_the_2001_national_household_travel_survey/pdf/entire.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004) | |||
| Personal vehicle | 2,336.1 | 194 | 760,324.7 |
| Air | 193.3 | 2,068 | 557,609.3 |
| Bus | 55.4 | 287 | 27,081.3 |
| Train | 21.1 | 192 | 10,546.0 |
| Other | 5.8 | 188 | 5,117.9 |
| Total | 2,611.7 | 210 | 1,360,679.1 |
wished to carry weapons in the air, and the first group of forty-four such pilots was deputized on April 19, 2003, after a week's training.
While these and other new security measures had been implemented, many Americans remained nervous about flying. A Gallup poll taken in November 2003 showed that nearly two-thirds of Americans felt it was likely that terrorists would either blow up a plane or hijack one within the next five years. Slightly more than half believed terrorists would shoot one down with a shoulder-fired missile. (See Figure 7.2.)
In 2003, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 587.3 million passengers boarded (or "enplaned") large commercial and regional commuter airplanes, an increase of 2.2% over the 2002 figure of 574.5 million, but equal to the level of 1998. Large carrier enplanements declined by 0.8%, while regional/commuter enplanements rose by 18.7%. International enplanements increased by 5.7% in 2003, to 54.1 million, but this number was slightly below the 1998 level.
The FAA found that landings and takeoffs dropped 3.3% in 2003 and were at the lowest level since 1996. The airline industry remained in a state of financial depression during the year, with total losses of $5.3 billion reported, although this was less than the $10.5 billion lost in 2002. No major air carrier had reported an annual profit since 2000, with just Continental Airlines posting a quarterly profit during that time. Philip Baggaley, the managing director for airlines and aerospace companies at credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's, estimated in 2004 that only three or four of the six major air carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, and U.S. Airways) would still be solvent by 2010. Both U.S. Airways and United had sought bankruptcy protection from the courts in the aftermath of September 11, and American and Delta had officially given notice that they were in danger of going under.
FIGURE 7.1
Looking to the future, the FAA forecast an average annual growth rate of 4.2% between 2003 and 2015, with boarding expected to return to pre–September 11 levels by 2005. By 2014 the total number of passengers boarding commercial planes in the United States was expected to reach one billion.
In 2003 the U.S. large air carrier passenger fleet consisted of 4,090 aircraft, and this number was projected to grow to 5,732 by 2015. More planes were expected to be operated by low-cost carriers in the future, however, with older airlines projected to decline in size over time.
Reasons for Travel
Research done by the TIA found that of the 1.1 billion "person trips" Americans took during 2003 (defined as one person traveling on a trip of fifty miles or more, oneway, away from home), 82% were for pleasure. Of the remaining trips, 12% were for business, and 6% combined business and pleasure.
In 2003, the TIA reported, 30% of travelers shopped while on a trip. Other popular activities included attending a social or family event (27%), outdoor activities (11%), city or urban sightseeing (10%), rural sightseeing (10%), and going to the beach (10%). Activities engaged in by fewer than 10% of travelers included visiting historic places/sites or museums (8%), gambling (7%), visiting a theme/amusement park (7%), visiting a national or state park (7%), attending seminars or courses (6%), nightlife/dancing (6%), and attending a sports event (6%).
Weekend Travel
The growing number of two-career families has made it increasingly difficult for families to schedule
TABLE 7.3
| Long-distance trips by mode and distance, 2001 | |||||
| 100–299 miles | 300–499 miles | 500–999 miles | 1,000–1,999 miles | 2,000+ miles | |
| Percent | Percent | Percent | Percent | Percent | |
| SOURCE: "Table A-23. Long-Distance Trips by Mode and Distance, in Percent," in National Household Travel Survey Highlights Report, U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2003, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_household_travel_survey/highlights_of_the_2001_national_household_travel_survey/pdf/entire.pdf (accessed September 12, 2004) | |||||
| Personal vehicle | 97.2 | 94.3 | 85.9 | 53.9 | 22.2 |
| Air | 0.2 | 1.5 | 10.3 | 42.4 | 74.8 |
| Bus | 1.6 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 |
| Train | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Other | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
FIGURE 7.2
long trips. Weekend trips, especially three-day weekends, have become the practical, if not ideal, solution for such couples.
According to the TIA, the most common type of travel in 2003 was short trips involving either no overnight stay at a destination (reported by 24% of travelers) or short stays of one to two nights (34%). Just 29% of domestic travelers took three-to six-night trips, while 14% were away for seven or more nights.
Americans began taking increasing numbers of weekend trips in the late 1990s, according to the TIA. Nearly half of U.S. adults (103 million) took at least one weekend trip per year, and close to 30% of Americans took five or more per year. Destinations for weekend trips included cities (33%), small towns (26%), beaches (16%), mountain areas (10%), and lake areas (4%).
Not all travel is planned in advance. According to the TIA, in 2001 more than eighty-three million American adults took last-minute trips. Most last-minute travelers (70%) used their own cars, 15% used air transportation, and 8% took recreational vehicles (RVs). About one-third of these trips involved overnight stays of three to four days, just 12% were longer than eight days, and 9% of last-minute travelers made day trips.
Type of Lodging
Of travelers who spent one or more nights away from home in 2003, the TIA reported that 39% stayed with friends or family, while more than half (55%) stayed in a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast. Five percent stayed in RVs or tents, 4% found lodging in condos or time-shares, and the remaining 7% found other accommodations.
Who Travels?
The TIA reported that baby boomers (categorized for the study as those aged thirty-five to fifty-four) generated the highest volume of domestic travel in 2003, with the average head of a traveling household forty-seven years of age. Slightly less than two-thirds of domestic travelers were married, while 22% were single or never married, and 16% were divorced, widowed, or separated.
Of the travelers who headed their households, 58% held college degrees. Eighty-one percent were employed full-or part-time, while 14% were retired. The average annual household income of travelers increased from $68,800 in 2001 to $69,500 in 2003.
TAKING THE KIDS ALONG. According to the TIA, more adults traveled with children during 2003 than they had during 2002—more than 167 million household trips included a child or children. Not surprisingly, children accompanied adults on more pleasure trips than business
TABLE 7.4
| Information sources that influenced last vacation choice, 2003 | |||||||
| Cruiser | |||||||
| (Representative sample) | Cruisers | Vacationers | Destination | Luxury | Premium | Contemporary | |
| Base: Cruises/vacationers | |||||||
| SOURCE: "Information Sources That Influenced Last Vacation Choice," in The Cruise Industry—An Overview, Cruise Lines International Association, Spring 2004, http://www.cruising.org/press/overview/SPRING040V1.pdf (accessed July 7, 2004) | |||||||
| Word of mouth | 45% | 41% | 46% | 30% | 38% | 35% | 41% |
| Always wanted to go | 36 | 40 | 34 | 32 | 47 | 43 | 40 |
| Good price | 27 | 31 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 32 | 31 |
| Spouse or travel companion | 25 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 20 | 26 | 27 |
| Destination website | 16 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 17 |
| Magazine advertisement | 11 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 19 | 16 | 16 |
| Internet advertisement | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| Travel magazine | 9 | 16 | 6 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 14 |
| Travel agent recommendation | 8 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 16 |
| Travel guide | 8 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 |
| Direct mail | 7 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 18 | 12 |
| Television/radio commercial | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| Cruise website | 3 | 10 | — | 4 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| Other | 23 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 17 | 21 | 21 |
trips, although the percentage of adults who brought children along on business trips was 10% in 2003.
PLANNING AND ENJOYING FAMILY TRAVEL. A family travel survey commissioned in 2002 by the car rental company Avis looked at how American families prepared for car trips and summer road vacations. Along with travel planning, the one thousand American parents who participated in the survey were asked about passenger concerns, automobile maintenance, and entertaining children while on the road.
The survey found that many families (46%) planned summer vacations that would enable them to spend quality time with one another. Other motivations for planning family trips included visiting family and friends (25%) and exploring new parts of the country (14%).
Nearly half of parents surveyed said they would prefer to take several short trips during the summer, as opposed to one long trip. When families took to the road, fathers typically handled more of the driving (62%), while mothers drove just 33% of the time.
Rather than relying on digital videodisc (DVD) and videocassette recorder (VCR) players to amuse children, as they might when they were at home, respondents said they preferred to entertain children during car trips by engaging them in traditional pastimes, such as sing-alongs, reading, and made-up games. Only 14% of parents used DVD and VCR players to entertain children in the car.
CHOOSING WHERE TO GO—WHO DECIDES? According to research performed in 2003 by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), many sources influence a family's decision on where to vacation. For all respondents, as well as the subsets of cruisers and "vacationers" (defined by CLIA as those who took leisure trips away from home of at least three days' duration), the most influential source of information was word of mouth, which had an impact on almost half of respondents in each category of travelers. Almost as many respondents, more than a third in each case, said they chose a vacation destination where they had "always wanted to go." A quarter or more were influenced by a spouse or travel companion, while close to one-sixth chose their destination based on information they saw on a Web site. (See Table 7.4.)
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