What’s on Deck for Winter Travel

The holiday season is a huge driver of travel for many, especially as more and more people are comfortable venturing out into the world once more. A recent report now sheds even more light on what to expect during the traditionally busy travel season.

The report, conducted by Vacasa and Allison+Partners Research, found that 53% of U.S. residents plan to travel between December 2022 and February 2023, with 40% of people planning to travel over the holidays specifically and 20% remaining unsure of their travel plans. While those outcomes are similar to how many people were planning a winter vacation last year, the report indicates there's plenty new to expect in this season's travel forecast—especially when it comes to the holidays.

When it comes to holiday travel spending, 91% of winter travelers report that a rise in costs does indeed impact their plans in some way, whether that means booking travel well in advance to save money (33%), adjusting travel days to get the lowest price (27%), or meeting family or friends at a half-way point (22%).

The types of destinations travelers are looking to venture to varies, including both sandy and snowy destinations on this season's itineraries. While travelers are more likely to flock to a warm-weather getaway this upcoming season (39%) one-third are leaning into winter with a trip to a snowy destination (32%), while 29% are planning a mix of both on separate trips. 75% of travelers plan to stay and play within the U.S. this winter, with 31% of them traveling more than 1,000 miles away from home.

And planning has certainly commenced, as the report found people aren't waiting until the last minute this year: 71% of winter travelers have already booked their holiday travel, winter (non-holiday) trip or both. The report also found that approximately 3 in 5 travelers (59%) plan on working remotely over the holidays in order to extend their trip(s)—and that's particularly true for parents (65% vs. 37% non-parents).

Looking forward to 2023, the report found that 40% of U.S. travelers anticipate traveling more frequently overall in 2023 than they did in 2022, with nearly 3 in 5 Millennials and Gen Z (58%) and nearly half of parents (46%) saying so.

Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.