ASTA survey shows American want to travel — and use advisors: Travel Weekly

Despite feeling the pinch of inflation and its impact on consumer goods, Americans still want to spend on travel, and they increasingly want to use an advisor, ASTA has found.

The Society conducted an online survey in late September, polling 524 Americans who had traveled 50 miles or more from home and spent at least a night in a hotel or other paid lodging.

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While 61% of respondents said the cost of consumer goods was much higher, up 10 percentage points from the same response in a May 2022 survey, 40% still said “nothing” would stop them from vacationing.

One-quarter of respondents reported they would take a “dream vacation” in the next half year.

Travelers also want to spend more on travel, ASTA found. The impact of inflation was felt by nearly 90% of respondents, according to the Society, but 40% planned to spend more on travel in the remainder of 2022. Three-quarters of respondents planned to spend the same or more on travel in 2023.

Additionally, 48% of travelers feel a travel advisor would put them more at ease. That is up 3 percentage points from ASTA’s spring survey.

“This research shows that Americans not only want to travel, they need to travel,” ASTA CEO Zane Kerby said in a release. “However, they also believe travel tends to be inherently expensive, complex and lacking in customer service. The value of an ASTA travel advisor has never been clearer.”

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