2024 Report:
Hospitality & Travel Trends

Executive Summary

WSU’s Carson College of Business conducted a survey to generate insights into American hospitality trends in 2024. The survey was designed to cover broad travel plans and motivators, travel finance considerations, sustainability and wellness as travel considerations, and the impact of artificial intelligence on travel.

Key Findings

Through our research, we discovered the following key insights:

1. Americans’ reasons for travel: When given the choice to travel, Americans have a variety of interests and priorities for destinations and activities, including adventure (21%), entertainment and nightlife (14%), and cultural immersion (12%) – though approximately one in three Americans prioritize wellness.
2. Sensitivity to inflation and budgets: Nearly all Americans expect inflation to affect their future travel plans, and a large majority of Americans plan to spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the cost of travel. Women expect to spend more time budgeting for travel than men, and more women expect inflation to impact their future trips.
3. Sustainability as a travel priority: Americans feel a responsibility to plan and act sustainably when traveling (74%) and say that they will make sustainability one of their priorities when traveling (75%). Nearly half of Americans will make sustainability a top or important priority. When considering the ethical dimensions of travel, many Americans also are wary of their impact on local destinations and take this factor into consideration when traveling.
4. Artificial intelligence as a travel planning tool: More than half of Americans have used AI for at least one aspect of trip planning. Nearly two in three Americans agree that, when traveling, it’s likely that AI can help save time and money, and that AI’s overall impact on travel experiences is probably more positive than negative. However, a majority of Americans are concerned that increased use of AI travel systems could have negative impacts on privacy, security, and the economy.
5. Gender as a factor in travel motivations: More men plan to travel in the next 12 months than women, and when traveling or planning travel, the two groups share different interests, priorities, and motivations. When choosing destinations and activities, more women are motivated by family-friendly experiences and beautiful surroundings, while more men are interested in entertainment and unplugged experiences. Women are more likely to budget for their trip, and more women prioritize sustainability. While both groups are equally likely to be wary of travel and AI, men express more optimism about it and are more likely to use AI as a resource for trip planning.
6. Generational differences in travel planning behavior: When traveling, younger generations have different considerations than members of Gen X and Baby Boomers. Gen Z consumers appear more likely to travel and are more open to using AI-powered tools to plan their trips. Members of Gen Z and Millennials are concerned about budgeting and inflation, and compared to Gen X and Baby Boomers, are significantly more likely to prioritize sustainability during travel.
7. Parents are traveling more than Americans without children: Compared to other Americans, parents with children under 18 at home have particular priorities and plans. Many parents are traveling, and many are going on vacation. In addition to spending more time considering travel costs, parents are more conscious of sustainability.

Methodology

The survey was conducted online from April 10 to April 12, 2024 among 1,020 American adults aged 18 years or older. The survey sample is demographically representative of the United States population on age, gender, geographic region, race and ethnicity, and education; U.S. Census data are used as targets for data weighting on these variables.

Most Americans will travel in the next year. Three in four Americans (76%) say they will travel in the next 12 months. Of those who plan to travel, 95% will travel domestically and 37% will travel internationally. Among all these likely travelers, 78% will travel for vacation, 68% will travel to visit family or friends, and 23% will travel for work or business.

Experiencing beautiful scenery and wellbeing are two top motivators in determining travel plans. Out of 16 possible motivations for choosing destinations and plans when traveling, Americans most often say experiencing beautiful surroundings (37%) and focusing on relaxation or wellbeing (33%) are among their top factors. In fact, 80% of Americans agree that traveling is an important way to improve their overall wellbeing.

Other fairly common “top three” travel motivators include having family-friendly experiences (30%), enjoying different cuisines (22%), having an adventure (21%), and participating in leisure or recreational activities (17%). A few more deeply immersive motivations are less common but still top factors for one in ten Americans or more, including experiencing cultural immersion with another culture or other people (12%), getting outside your comfort zone (11%), learning new things or having educational experiences (11%), and meeting new people and making new friends (9%).

When traveling or planning travel, most Americans spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the cost of their trip. Almost all Americans (93%) expect to spend at least some time budgeting, searching for deals, and comparing costs the next time they travel. In fact, more than two thirds of Americans plan to spend “a lot” or “a moderate amount of time” on planning a trip budget (68%), searching for travel deals and bargains (68%), or comparing costs to help choose between destinations or activities (69%).

Nearly all Americans expect inflation to influence at least one aspect of their future travel. Ninety-six percent of Americans expect that current or potential rising costs – either at home or at their travel destination – will have at least minor influence on their travel planning. In many cases, the impact may be significant – more than four in ten Americans say current or potential rising costs will likely have “a great deal of influence” on their choice of travel destination (47%) or their choice of accommodation (43%) when they travel. Just under four in ten say the same about planned trip length (39%) and activities booked and planned (37%).

Should inflation cause Americans to scale back their travel plans, shopping costs (63%), food and drink costs (52%), and activity costs (57%) would be among the most common ways to reduce spending. Close to half would likely reduce their spending by cutting travel costs (48%) – to travel closer to home or traveling during a cheaper period, for example – or by reducing spend on accommodations (44%).

More men plan to travel in the next 12 months than women, and when traveling or planning travel, the two groups share different interests, priorities, and motivations. When choosing destinations and activities, more women are motivated by family-friendly experiences and beautiful surroundings, while more men are interested in entertainment as well as unplugged experiences. When planning travel, women are more likely to budget for their trip, and more women prioritize sustainability. While both groups are equally likely to be wary of travel and AI, men express more optimism about it and are more likely to use AI as a resource for trip planning.

Slightly more men than women expect to travel in the next year, likely because of work trips. Eighty percent of men plan to travel in the next 12 months, compared to 72% of women. Men seem to travel more because of business-related trips: one in four men (24%) say they will travel for work or business this year, while only one in ten women (11%) say the same.

Women expect to spend more time trying to budget for travel, and more women expect inflation to affect their future trips. One in three women expect to spend “a lot of time” searching for travel deals and bargains (34%) and comparing costs to help choose between destinations (34%). Approximately one in five men expect to spend “a lot of time” doing the same tasks (23% searching for deals and 21% comparing pricing). Additionally, more women seem to be concerned about inflation. Nearly half of all American women (48%) expect current or future rising prices to have “a great deal of influence” on their choice of accommodation while traveling, compared to 37% of men. More women expect inflation to have “a great deal of influence” on trip length (43% vs. 35%) and activities they book or plan (41% vs. 33%). Two in three women (66%) say they would reduce shopping costs if inflation caused them to change their travel plans – significantly more than men (60%).

When traveling or planning travel, men and women express different interests and motivations. One in three women (33%) list “family-friendly experiences” as one of their top three motivators for travel destinations and activities, while 26% of men say the same. Women are also more likely to list “beautiful surroundings” as a motivation (43% of women vs. 30% men), while men are more likely to list “enjoying entertainment or nightlife” (18% of men vs. 9% of women). Despite their more widespread use of AI technology while traveling (see below), almost half of American men (48%) find it important to travel to “rustic locations free of technological or electronic distractions” – significantly more than women (40%).

Women are slightly more likely to consider sustainability a priority when traveling. Almost four in five women (77%) agree that, when they travel, they feel a responsibility to plan and act sustainably – more than men (71%). Women are also more likely to see sustainability as a priority while traveling (78% vs. 71%).

More men than women have used AI to help with travel, and men tend to see travel and AI more favorably than women. Over half of American men (55%) have used AI when traveling or planning travel, while less than half of American women (46%) have done the same. More men report using AI for travel recommendations (34% vs. 27%), building personalized trip itineraries (31% vs. 24%), and as a resource while traveling (32% vs. 22%). While a similar number of men and women have concerns about travel and AI (87% vs. 89%), more men perceive AI as helpful when planning travel. Around one in five men “strongly agree” that AI can likely help them save time and money when personalizing trips (23% of men vs. 13% of women) and can make their travel more meaningful (19% of men vs. 14% of women). Two in three men “strongly” or “somewhat agree” that AI is good for tourism-related business (66%) – slightly more than women (60%).

When traveling, younger generations have different considerations than members of Gen X and Baby Boomers. Gen Z consumers appear more likely to travel and are more open to using AI-powered tools to plan their trips. Members of Gen Z and Millennials are concerned about budgeting and inflation, and compared to Gen X and Baby Boomers, are significantly more likely to prioritize sustainability during travel.

This year, more members of Gen Z plan to travel than members of any other generation, and significantly more plan to travel internationally. Eighty-four percent of American Gen Z adults say they will travel in the next 12 months. In contrast, 77% of Millennials, 74% of Gen X, and 74% of Baby Boomers plan to travel. Half of Gen Z (49%) are planning to travel internationally, compared to 29% of Millennials, 24% of Gen X, and 21% of Boomers.

Gen Z and Millennials expect to spend significantly more time comparing travel costs than members of Gen X and Baby Boomers. Over a third of Gen Z (38%) and Millennials (34%) expect to spend “a lot of time” comparing costs of travel destinations and activities the next time they travel, compared to just 25% of Gen X and 19% of Boomers. When given the choice to travel, more than a third of Gen Z (38%) expect to spend “a lot of time” planning their trip budget – significantly more than members of Gen X (23%) and Boomers (20%). Thirty-one percent of Millennials also expect to spend “a lot of time” planning their budget for travel.

Younger generations are particularly wary of inflation. Around three in four members of Gen Z (78%) and Millennials (73%) expect current or potential rising costs to have “a great deal of influence” on at least one aspect of their future travel – such as trip destination or length – compared to 61% of Gen X and 57% of Baby Boomers. Nearly all members of Gen Z (97%) expect current or potential rising costs to have at “a great deal” or “a moderate influence” on the following aspects of their travel: choice of accommodation (86%), travel destination (83%), trip length (80%), or activities they book or plan (77%).

A large majority of Gen Z (88%) and Millennials (83%) consider sustainability a priority when traveling. In contrast, 68% of Gen X and Baby Boomers see sustainability as a priority. Over half of Gen Z (57%) and Millennials (54%) consider sustainability a top or important priority, compared to 41% of Gen X and 38% of Baby Boomers. When asked which top two of seven sustainable travel practices are likely to be most important the next time they travel, more members of Gen Z and Millennials listed greener travel and accommodation plans. Twenty-three percent of Gen Z and Millennials would prioritize “flying with airlines that are committed to greener operations,” compared to 9% of Gen X and 7% of Boomers; and 13% of Gen Z and Millennials selected “staying at green-certified lodgings,” compared to 5% of Gen X and 4% of Boomers.

Three in four members of Gen Z (75%) and two in three Millennials (66%) have used AI-powered tools for help when traveling or planning travel – significantly more than Gen X (47%) and Boomers (28%). Nearly three in four members of Gen Z (73%) agree that the overall impact of AI on their travel experience is probably more positive than negative, while 68% of Millennials, 64% of Gen X, and just 50% of Boomers feel the same. Forty-one percent of Gen Z has used AI to help plan itineraries, and 43% have used AI for help when traveling. However, when asked, over half of Gen Z (56%) say that they don’t feel comfortable using travel systems with AI due to privacy concerns.

Compared to other Americans, parents with children under 18 at home have particular priorities and plans. Many parents are traveling, and many are going on vacation. In addition to spending more time considering travel costs, parents are more conscious of sustainability.

More parents with children under 18 at home plan to travel in the next 12 months than Americans without children, and significantly more plan to go on vacation. This may be due in part to the fact that many parents with children at home are in their prime working years – 30% of parents will travel for work or business, compared to 12% of non-parents. However, parents are also more likely to plan to travel for a vacation in the coming year (70% vs. 55% of non-parents).

Parents with children under 18 at home are particularly conscious of travel costs. Ninety-one percent of parents plan to spend a lot or a moderate amount of time on budgeting, searching for deals, and comparing costs when they travel next, compared to 79% of non-parents. Parents also more often say that current or potential rising costs will have moderate or a great deal of influence on trip destination (86% vs. 75%), planned activities (82%), and accommodation choice (87% vs. 77%).

Parents with children under 18 at home place a greater priority on sustainability in travel than do non-parents. The reasons for this are not immediately clear, though it may be that parents with children at home are generally younger, and younger adults also more widely prioritize sustainability. Or perhaps parents have truly different perspectives. In any case, fully fifty-nine percent of American parents say sustainability is a top or important priority when making travel plans, compared to 41% of other Americans. Parents are more likely to feel a responsibility to plan and act sustainably when traveling as well (79% vs. 72%). Out of several possible sustainable actions when traveling, parents are more likely than others to say that green airlines (21%), green lodgings (12%), and low-carbon transportation options (16%) are likely to be important to them.