Memorial Day weekend is the in the rearview mirror, which means summer travel is in full swing. A new AAA Consumer Pulse™ survey shows Georgians will vacation more than last summer and spend more money in the process.
The survey revealed that over two-thirds (69%) of Georgians are planning at least one vacation - of 3 days or more – this summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day). The most popular vacations are beach/lake getaways (79%), theme parks (48%), and ocean cruises (27%). Click here to view the full survey.
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“The summer travel season kicked off with the most Memorial Day travelers in 12 years,” said Vicky Evans, Assistant Vice President, Travel Sales Development, AAA - The Auto Club Group. “So far this year, AAA has also seen tremendous growth in travel bookings, compared to last year. This survey suggests that momentum will continue, creating the busiest summer travel season in more than a decade.”
Domestic vs International Vacations
Of the Georgians planning a summer vacation, the majority (72%) will not leave the United States. However, 22 percent are planning both international and domestic vacations, while 6 percent will only travel internationally.
Orlando, Vancouver, and Cancun are among the top summer travel destinations in North America, based on AAA travel bookings from June 1 – August 15, 2017. To give travelers a taste of the many great hotel and restaurant options for summer travels, AAA’s inspectors have selected their favorite places in the top 10 North American destinations.
Travelers Taking More Frequent and Extended Vacations
Although 44 percent of travelers say they will take the same number of vacations as last year, 41 percent will take more. 35% of travelers’ vacations will be longer than last year, while half (50%) say they will vacation the same length as last year.
The large majority of travelers are planning at least one vacation ranging from 3-8 days (Georgia travelers were able to select more than one option, in the case of multiple vacations).
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3-4 days (29%)
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5-6 days (30%)
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7-8 days (27%)
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9-10 days (9%)
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More than 10 days (15%)
28% of Travelers Feel Better About Taking a Trip This Year
Twenty-eight percent of travelers feel better about traveling compared to last year, while sentiments remain unchanged for three in five (60%) of those surveyed. The top 3 reasons Georgians feel better about traveling are:
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More time to travel (47%)
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Improved financial situation (46%)
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Feel better about the economy (33%)
Only 12 percent of travelers feel worse about vacationing this year. Their main concerns are:
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Domestic or international violence/terrorism (54%)
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Airport/TSA security concerns (45%)
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Concerns about travel restrictions (33%)
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Financial concerns (28%)
