Key Takeaways from Future Partners: January 10th Update on the State of the American Traveler

The following provides the key takeaways from the January 10th State of the American Traveler webinar presented by Future Partners.

The presentation covered their research findings on Current Sentiment, Looking Forward, Marketing Travel, and Crowdsourcing Predictions for Travel in 2024. 

The most significant findings are as follows: 

1. Current Sentiment
   1. Travelers' personal financial situation showed a slight weakening this month relative to last month. But, compared to one year ago, traveler sentiment has improved. 
   2. Concerns about a recession continue to subside, reaching a post-pandemic era low. 
   3. Travel volume continues to be robust despite some weakness in the final month of the year. 
2. Looking Forward
   1. Travelers are optimistic about their finances, and in spite of recent weakness, they continue to hold high levels of excitement for travel. 
   2. 80% of American travelers have existing plans for future trips. 
3. Marketing Travel
   1. Email and search engines continue to dominate as travelers' preferred marketing channels. 
   2. Social media has the strongest pull on younger travelers. 
   3. Travelers continue to stick to shorter planning windows. (Mean = 10.4 weeks in advance)
   4. Their most recent overnight trip had an even shorter average planning window. (Mean = 6.2 weeks in advance)
4. Crowdsourcing Predictions for Travel in 2024
   1. Most common predictions: 
      1. Off-the-beaten-path places more popular due to costs. 
      2. Less expensive "dupes" (affordable alternatives) become more popular. 
      3. 2024 will be a great year. 
      4. AI more commonly used
      5. Politics impact destination choice. 
      6. Domestic travel becomes generally more frustrating. 
      7. Travelers seek cooler destinations to avoid heat.