New Data on Squeezing in Summer Travel Before Back-to-school Season

Looking ahead to the fall, 63% of consumers want to be more intentional with their paid time off and will schedule time off around a vacation instead of taking their days without a plan.

Summer travel is in full swing. In fact, in May, American Express U.S. Consumer travel bookings through Amex Travel were 95% of what they were in May of 2019.  Before we head into the fall, families and working adults alike are trying to squeeze in as many vacations as they can according to a new survey from Amex Trendex. The survey found 60% of respondents are planning to take one last vacation in August before returning to office and nearly half (47%) are planning to travel more than usual before the school year starts.80% of respondents are either hopeful, happy, or excited at the idea of returning to in-person events, like travel, this month's Amex Trendex uncovered last minute summer travel trends:

• Making Up for Lost Time Before Return-To-Office and Back-To-School- 60% of respondents plan to book and take a trip in the next month before the school year begins- 40% of respondents traveled more this summer to make up for not traveling as much last year- Looking ahead to the fall, 63% of consumers want to be more intentional with their paid time off and will schedule time off around a vacation instead of taking their days without a plan.
• Spending More on Travel This Summer- 61% of parents expect to spend more on experiences, such as travel, this year- 35% of respondents say they spent more on travel this summer than they have in the past.
• Taking On Summer Travel With Family & Friends- Travel companions differ by generation – Millennials (57%) and Gen Xers (52%) plan to travel with family, Boomers plan to travel with significant others (52%) and Gen Zers plan to travel with friends (28%)- Top experiences respondents are planning to travel for include family reunions (22%), with friends (18%), birthday trips (8%) and anniversaries (8%)- Top destinations parents are most looking forward to traveling internationally are Europe (33%), The Caribbean (21%), Asia (6%), and South/Central America (4%) .

American Express Travel has seen similar trends when looking at US Card Member booking data from June 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021: 

• Top air destinations for US Card Members include Florida, California, Texas, New York and Illinois.
• Top U.S. Card Member rental car destinations include Orlando, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, Dallas, and Boston.
• 66% of hotel bookings were for travel within the next 60 days.

In addition to these stats, this month's Amex Trendex also found interesting insights around back-to-school and return-to-office.