U.S. Travelers Plan to Spend More Amid Remote-Work Flexibility

(Bloomberg) -- A majority of U.S. travelers plan to spend the same or more on trips during the holidays than what they spent before the pandemic, according to a study from Deloitte LLP. 

Overall, 42% of Americans plan on traveling at the end of the year, the study shows. About 40% of travelers are planning to work while on vacation, with three in four in this group adding at least an extra day to their plans due to the remote-work flexibility. Those who are combining travel and leisure more than twice as likely to stay at hotels and take flights.

The survey also illustrates the nation’s uneven pandemic recovery: While more than half of high-income Americans are traveling this holiday season, only about a third of those making less than $50,000 annually are doing so. That rises to 46% for those in the $50,000-to-$100,000 bracket and 53% for those making more than $100,000. 

For lower-income Americans who are planning to travel and spend more than before, 44% said they will be taking advantage of accumulated savings. About 20% of those in the middle and higher income levels said they’ll be traveling more this holiday to take advantage of work-from-home flexibility. 

Eileen Crowley, vice chair for U.S. transportation, hospitality and services at Deloitte, said in a statement accompanying the survey that “pent-up demand for tradition, travel, the need for rest, and post-lockdown getaways will drive intent throughout the coming months.”

Deloitte surveyed 6,512 Americans about their travel plans from Sept. 9 to 23. 

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