After curtailing vacations during the pandemic, a new AARP survey finds that Americans are starting to feel more comfortable about travel. The hoped-for return to the road this year is driven in part by strong purchasing power and pent-up demand for travelers over the age of 50.
In 2021, more than half (51%) of older travelers said they took fewer trips than expected. While 54% of Americans over 50 planned to travel last year, 67% expect to do so in 2022 — an average of at least four trips this year.
It is understood that the big factor that comes into play for travelers is safety.
More than two-thirds say they are concerned about the spread of COVID-19. However, 77% feel it is safe to take the vacation this year compared to only 40% last year. Women are feeling more alert: 65% expect travel in 2022 will look different than it did before the pandemic, compared to 60% of men who say the same. For domestic travel, men are more likely to plan trips than women (37% vs. 31%), while women are still in the travel idea stage (51% vs. 47%).
Older travelers are more likely to continue to travel within the United States, avoid crowded destinations, and take more road trips than usual. About 43% of people aged 50 or older plan to travel domestically and abroad this year, slightly short of plans for 2020 before the pandemic.
It’s time to brag
Since COVID-19 has put the kibosh on travel for most of the past two years, many Americans have saved money and vacation days that they are now eager to use. This translates to larger budgets for flights next year. Two out of three travelers 50 years of age or older expect to spend more on travel in 2022 than in 2021.
Before the pandemic, Americans over 50 planned to spend $7,314 a year, on average, for travel. This year, seniors usually say they’re willing to pay $8,369. For those over 70, the price could be over $11,500 – with some extra money for travel insurance and flexible/cancellable tickets. However, AARP has discovered a significant age gap: Americans under 50 are more budget-conscious and expect to spend nearly $5,000 on flights in 2022.
International flight planning has not yet been a return to pre-pandemic levels. Only 17% of travelers over the age of 50 have booked international travel for 2022, while 34% are planning to travel abroad and 49% are considering traveling abroad.
Enjoy close to home
Some Americans are still not ready to travel at all. This year, only 2% of seniors said they were against travel, down from 8% who felt that way in 2021. The main reasons remain the same in last year’s survey: safety concerns about transportation, and safety concerns if the destination is a hotspot for COVID-19, fear of getting sick or infecting others.
What might ease travel fears while the novel coronavirus is still around? Those who are reluctant to return to travel in 2022 say they have fully refundable tickets, know COVID safety protocols for transportation and accommodation providers, and the majority of the population has been vaccinated.
methodology
The AARP 2022 Travel Trends Study includes two surveys of travelers and non-travelers conducted in November 2021. The 15-minute online survey of 2,008 adults 18 years of age or older who had made at least one trip in the past two years within a distance of 50 miles or more away from home, with a stay of at least two nights. The 10-minute online survey of non-travelers included a sample of 1,003 Americans with no plans for personal travel in 2022. Final US Census data for analysis has been weighted by age group.
For more information, please contact Vicki Levy at [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Suggested citation:
Levi, Vicki. Travel trends survey 2022. Washington, DC: AARP Research, March 2022. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00513.001
