American Express released data around American summer travel trends and the results are positive for the travel industry - travel plans and estimated travel spending ( $1,180 Per Person for 2012) are on the rise from last year.- Fifty nine percent of the general population have summer vacation plans this year – of those, 55 percent will travel within the U.S., 16 percent will travel internationally and 12 percent will do both.
- More than four in ten respondents planned to travel to a southern U.S. city or town this year, representing an uptick from 2011 and the most popular region. Almost 70 percent planned to travel by car.
- Almost three of four travelers plan on taking a trip for a week or more, a figure higher than 2011 by eleven percent.
- Forty-two percent of travelers are seeking cultural trips, thirty six percent desire learning activities via museums and historical monuments, and twenty-two percent planned to engage in soft adventures like hiking, hands-on classes, etc.
- Over half of the population will book summer travel via online sites and tools (56 percent, up from 52 percent in 2011) of summer traveler’s utilize online tools, whereas 36 percent will book according to recommendations from family & friends, up from 31 percent last year.
- If your tours aren't full, don't despair - more than one in five (21%) travelers plan to book their trip only two-three weeks out and seven percent will book at the very last minute.