Fully, 80% of active leisure travelers who are vaccinated plan to take a leisure trip during the next six months, compared to 81% of those who do not plan to get vaccinated, according to MMGY Travel Intelligence’s latest Portrait of American Travelers survey fielded in late July.
Significantly more vaccinated travelers are planning to stay in a hotel/resort, travel by personal car, visit friends and family, take a domestic flight and take an international trip over the next six months in comparison to those who do not plan to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated travelers were slightly more likely to plan travel for a conference or convention (10%) than those who are vaccinated (6%).
Compared to other generations, Millennials were the most likely to indicate they would attend a business meeting or convention, stay in a hotel or resort, or take a flight or cruise if proof of vaccination was required for all fellow travelers and employees or travel companies.
More generally, Americans’ intent to take a vacation over the next three months has increased, with 53% of U.S. adults planning to do so – up from 50% in April. Fully, 73% of U.S. adults intend to take a vacation in the next six months, a figure essentially unchanged from April’s findings of 72%.
Looking ahead to the holiday season, 42% of U.S. adults indicated they plan to travel this year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Younger generations have even stronger intentions to travel, with 61% of Millennials and 52% of Gen Zs planning to pack their bags for at least one of these holidays.
Of those planning holiday trips, 42% intend to visit the homes of friends and family, followed by 31% who plan to take a family leisure vacation (not to visit friends/family), and 28% plan to meet family or extended family members in a vacation destination. Distance does not appear to be a key factor in determining the holiday destination, with 42% of those who have holiday travel plans expecting to travel more than 500 miles away from home.