Choice Hotels International Releases Traveler Survey in Partnership with Harris Poll, Uncovering How People Want to Travel This Summer and Beyond
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), released its first Choice Privileges State of the American Traveler Survey, a poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults that sheds new light on Americans' travel plans and priorities this summer and beyond.
Key findings include:
Most Americans want to spend less than $200/night on lodging:
- The majority (78%) typically look to spend less than $200/night on lodging
- Most (73%) prefer to splurge on experiences and limit costs on lodging
- With sports, music and theater getting back in full swing post-pandemic, 26% of Americans say they plan their trips around these specific experiences
Some prefer to splurge on upscale offerings:
- More than 1 in 4 (27%) splurge on lodging and limit costs of experiences, with 21% willing to spend $200 or more/night on lodging
Loyalty programs are key tools for people to save money while traveling:
- 41% of Americans said they plan to use hotel/loyalty program points to save money this summer, and 30% book using a loyalty member rate
- When taking a road trip, nearly a third of Americans (29%) said they would pay for their road trip using loyalty points
While international travel has been booming this summer, many Americans are still choosing to road trip around the U.S.:
- More than a third of respondents (38%) report they travel to feel more connected to and explore the country
- 65% said 3 or more destinations make for an ideal road trip
- Most Americans (67%) want to see tourist attractions when traveling
- Many (57%) want to stay in a city or near a popular U.S. landmark when traveling
- More than half (57%) of Americans listen to a personalized playlist while on the road, and 51% listen to the local radio
From spouses to pets to strangers, the ideal road trip co-pilot is clear:
- Many Americans (64%) said they are road tripping this year because they want to make memories with family and friends
- More than half (60%) of Americans want to road trip with their spouse/partner/significant other
- 1 in 6 Americans (16%) would choose their pet over anyone else to travel with
- Nearly 1 in 10 (9%) prefer to be alone on their travels
- 4% would choose their co-worker to travel with
- 2% would choose a stranger
Americans continue to prioritize self-care while traveling:
- 45% want to stay at a property with a pool
- 35% say they want to enjoy a hotel spa
- More than 1 in 5 Americans (23%) say visiting the hotel gym is a must while on vacation
- 38% say being able to hike close to where they are staying is a priority
Americans continue to blend work and play while traveling:
- Most survey respondents (76%) said when traveling for work they are likely to extend their trip to include leisure time
- Most of them (86%) will also stay at the same hotel
- More than half (58%) of survey respondents reported they've had to share a hotel room with a colleague on a work trip
Methodology
The study was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Choice Privileges from June 16-21, 2023, among 2,055 adults ages 18 and older, of which 1,093 have taken a road trip in the past year and 1,248 plan to take a road trip this summer. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.