Domestic Tourism Winning Race for Trips Booked and Taken

Domestic tourism continues to outpace international travel by a wide margin, according to recent surveys. And while the findings, conducted by Passport-Photo-Online, are not surprising, the rate by which domestic tourism is chosen over options abroad is worthy of consideration.

For starters, international travel requires jumping through hoops – many of them. There are currency exchanges to note, phone roaming arrangements and charges, and those do not begin to touch the vaccination requirements, COVID testing policies, airline flight delays and cancellations – and expenses.

And as 2022 draws to a close, the world is now facing the headwinds of high inflation, geopolitical tensions and … new and rising cases of COVID strains.

Passport Photo Online

So, Passport Photo Online polled 1,000+ Americans and see if domestic trips are still a trend and now becoming a way of life. The initial findings tell the tale.

+ Nearly five in 10 Americans (48%) opt for domestic tourism because of high inflation and rising prices.

+ Another 47% of people travel locally because it’s better for the environment.

+ 82% of workers believe a domestic leisure trip lowered their stress levels.

+ 76% of staffers feel traveling at home in 2022 upped their productivity.

+ 79% of people became more creative in the workplace after going on domestic vacation.

+ 77% of Americans grew more engaged at work after their most recent local trip.

+ People usually spend between $501 and $1,000 on average and go away for roughly 3–5 days for a typical trip within the US.

Domestic Tourism Landscape in 2022

Did you know?

Americans take over 2.29B domestic trips every year. That makes domestic tourism a booming industry in the US.

For starters, 96% of the survey respondents took or had plans to take at least one domestic leisure trip in 2022, with 80% describing their most recent local travel experience as positive or very positive.

Where do Americans typically go?

* A different city within the US: 44%
* A different city within one’s home state: 36%
* Stay in one’s home city: 19%

As some five in 10 domestic travelers usually visit another city in the States here is how many trips they take on average every year:

* Two: 31%
* Three: 27%
* Four: 16%
* One: 14%
* Five or more: 12%

Trip lengths in days for Domestic Tourism:

* 3–5: 36%
* 6–10: 24%
* 1–2: 24%
* 11–14: 13%
* Less than one: 3%

Where do travelers stay when on a trip in the U.S.?

Hotel: 48%

Friends or family: 47%

Tent: 42%

One’s own place: 37%

Airbnb: 29%

Couchsurfing: 26%

RV: 15%

What do domestic travelers pay attention to when choosing hotels?

+ Health and safety standards: 42%

+ Online ratings and reviews: 37%

+ Flexibility to cancel without penalty: 33%

+ Suitable space to work: 33%

+ Proximity to attractions: 32%

+ Reliable Internet: 31%

+ Price: 30%

+ Presence of a quiet room for meetings: 29%

Interestingly, accommodation cost not a key factor in the landscape of domestic tourism. Only 30% considered hotel price to be very important. What matters most, according to these respondents, is a property’s health and safety standards (42%), online ratings and reviews (37%), and flexibility to cancel without penalty (33%).

What’s Fueling Domestic Tourism?

+ High inflation and rising prices: 48%

+ Local trips are more eco-friendly: 47%

+ Ability to bring pets along: 46%

+ COVID-19 concerns: 44%

+ Absence of complicated trip logistics: 40%

+ Not having to test negative to return to the US: 21%

+ No language barrier: 21%

“High inflation and rising prices” is a rising and steady factor in opting not to travel abroad. That may make sense when the average vacation in Europe currently per person will cost at least $3,960.

It’s also worth noting is the eco-friendly concept: 47% of travelers prefer domestic travel because they believe it is better for the environment. Considering that a flight from London to New York across the pond and back generates some two tons per passenger (according to PlanetAir), there may be some wisdom in this approach.

Domestic Tourism Top Expenses

There is no doubt that domestic travel is easier on the pocket. Here’s how much Americans typically spend on a domestic trip, based on survey findings:

$501–$1,000: 23%
$0–$500: 21%
$1,001–$2,000: 19%
$2,001–$3,000: 12%
$3,001–$4,000: 8%
$4,001 or more: 5%

Thus, for a typical trip within the US, people usually spend between $501 and $1,000 on average and go away for roughly 3–5 days.

Spending in Focus:

Food and drinks: 62%

Entertainment: 59%

Transportation: 52%

Housing: 47%

Sightseeing: 41%

Top Benefits of Domestic Tourism

There is no doubt that travel – especially travel that is not too stressful, can play into varying conditions of happiness as well as boost productivity at work.

The survey found:

+ 82% of US employees believe a domestic leisure trip lowered their stress levels.

+ 76% of workers feel traveling locally upped their productivity.

+ 77% of staffers grew more engaged at work after their most recent domestic trip.

+ 79% of Americans became more creative in the workplace upon a local vacation.

Survey Details

The survey used here was conducted an online and worked with 1,082 US respondents through an online polling tool in July 2022. The respondents were 58.5% male and 41.5% female. 8.4% of respondents were 25 or younger, 58.8% were aged 26–38, 25.7% were aged 39–54, and 7.1% were 55 or older.