NEW YORK — All signs point to another banner year for travel in 2019, according to the latest North American consumer travel trends survey from Travel Leaders Group.
More than 3,500 consumers took part in the survey and just about everyone – or at least 96% – said they intend to travel for vacation in the coming year with nearly 90% stating they will take the same or more trips in 2019.
Meanwhile more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) said they’re planning at least two or more leisure trips next year with 36% indicating their travels, at least in part, involve solo trips.
Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko says the desire to travel among North Americans “is stronger than ever with an increasing focus on authentic, memorable experiences.”
Specialty travel such as culinary-focused, heritage journeys and bucket list destinations are still trending, along with solo travel, says Chacko. “Many people are not willing to forgo vacations because they have no one to travel with or, in many cases, simply prefer to travel on their own. We are seeing a rise in solo travel and our advisors and travel supplier partners are stepping up and catering to that demand with tailored trips for the solo traveller.”
Topping the list of U.S. destinations getting the most interest from North American travellers are Hawaii, Alaska and California. The full top 10 in order is:
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- California
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Colorado
- New York
- Arizona
- Montana
- Washington D.C.
By region, the top international destinations North Americans said they’re most interested in travelling to in 2019 are:
- The Caribbean
- Western Europe
- Mexico
- Canada
- Eastern Europe
Not surprisingly, money was the number one reason consumers indicated they don’t travel more. Work obligations and not enough time off were the second and third most common reasons people said they don’t travel more frequently. That said, 43% of survey respondents said they plan to spend more on vacation travel in 2019 versus the previous year.
Among solo travellers, the most popular method of travelling (cited by 40% of solo travellers) is to travel and explore independently while 25% indicated they prefer to join an organized group journey when travelling solo. Some 35% of solo travellers said they like to participate in one or more guided tour experiences while travelling.
The Travel Leaders Group consumer travel trends survey was conducted between September and October 2018 among more than 3,500 consumers.
