ROCKVILLE, Md.—With gas prices down and more money in the pockets of Americans, Choice Hotels International reveals the findings from its annual summer travel survey, which tracks the travel habits of American leisure and business travelers. Here’s what Americans are considering when making their summer travel trip plans:
Leisure travelers are out in force.
Loyalty programs drive trip decisions: Almost two-thirds (61 percent) of travelers say that loyalty programs and points impact where they choose to stay on vacation. And 57 percent say they save up all their hotel loyalty points to use toward a summer vacation.
Road trips are in: 72 percent of travelers are going by car this summer – road tripping to their destinations.
Doing it for the Instagram: Almost one in 10 travelers say their summer travels are motivated by the opportunity to brag to friends and family on social media.
Mighty maids: Almost half (42 percent) of travelers like to stay in a hotel during the summer because they don’t have to clean the bathroom.
Cuba in the pipeline: 58 percent of Americans say they are likely to visit Cuba once the travel embargo lifts, however 42 percent say they would not visit in the first year.
American travelers are having a hard time getting away from work.
Loyalty points in the bank: Almost half of American travelers (44 percent) have a lot of hotel loyalty points stashed up, but no time to use them.
Work. Work. Work. Work. Play: Three in five (62 percent) business travelers add leisure vacations onto their business trips.
Kids? What kids?: Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) business travelers extend their business trips with leisure time as a way to have free time away from their spouse and/or kids.
