Nearly three in four Georgians (71 percent) are planning a summer vacation this year, down from 75 percent last year and also down from last year’s national average of 85 percent.
That is according to a 2015 End-of-Year Consumer Survey by Georgia Credit Union Affiliates (GCUA).
The survey also revealed nearly a quarter (21 percent) of respondents have been saving for their summer vacation for 1-3 months, 27 percent from 3-6 months and 33 percent from 6 months to a year. But, a mere 7 percent said they started planning for their vacation more than a year in advance.
Eighty-one percent of respondents said cost influences where they go on vacation, 54 percent said their schedules play a role in the decision, 44 percent said travel distance and 41 percent said it’s the destination and amenities that most influence their travel choices.
According to a 2015 report for the U.S. Travel Association by Oxford Economics, when Americans do travel internationally, most stick close to home – going to places that are more affordable and easier to reach.
The average amount Americans spend on travel has been gradually creeping upward over the past few years, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2005, taking a trip within the U.S. cost an average of $440. By 2013 (the latest data available), that amount was $583.
Average spending on international trips went from $1,991 in 2005 to $3,273 in 2013. Overall, according to the U.S. Travel Association, people in the U.S. spent an estimated $805.7 billion on travel in 2015, up from $662.1 billion in 2008.
