Expedia | October 09, 2020

SEATTLE, Oct. 8, 2020 — Today, Expedia® reveals the latest phenomenon in pandemic travel behavior – the ‘tripping point.’ The tripping point is defined as the intense need for a break from the routine and the moment at which day-to-day responsibilities become too much and result in the desperate need for a change of scenery. For many adults, it would be an understatement to say the past six months or so have been a balancing act. Juggling new realities of work, school, household chores and errands can become monotonous, especially with little opportunity for a much-needed break. Through a survey of 1,000 adults aged 18-451, Expedia examines how reaching the tripping point impacted travelers during lockdown and continues to shape our future trips.

  • Expedia found that on average, Americans reached their tripping point just 27 days after the introduction of stay-at-home mandates, though a quarter (24%) reached that point in the first week
  • The top three ways travelers managed these feelings were through self-care (41%), spending more time outside (28%) and planning a big future trip (20%)
  • Nearly half (44%) of respondents are planning to travel between October and December

Nearby escapes and future-trip-planning helped alleviate tripping point

For the 80 percent of respondents who reported reaching their tripping point the biggest factor was the need to get out of the house and find a change of scenery (46%). Behind that was a need for some alone-time or space from family or roommates (25%) and wanting to see friends or family in another location (25%).

As Americans sought to manage feelings of being cooped up, more than a quarter of respondents said they took a road trip or staycation (28%) or found relief by researching or dreaming of a future trip (20%). Expedia data from April supports this finding, with the top-searched destinations including warm-weather, relaxing vacations spots like Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Maldives.2

Once restrictions eased up, survey results show it only took 20 days on average for travelers to book a trip away from home, proving the time spent researching and dreaming was well-spent.

Looking forward to the next trip

For many, travel disruptions and limitations have only strengthened the desire for a trip; survey data reveals that 44 percent of Americans are planning travel between October and December.

Results also shed light on where travelers are most likely to go when they’re ready to travel freely, whether it’s visiting out-of-town friends and family (27%), heading somewhere they’ve never been within the U.S. (24%) or rescheduling a trip they couldn’t take this year (20%).

Whether the ideal next trip is a beach vacation or solo adventure tends to vary and turns out it has a lot to do with who you spent lockdown living with. Expedia survey results found:

  • Individuals who moved back in with parents or grandparents or who lived alone during lockdown are most likely to desire a luxury, 5-star vacation with pampering and spa treatments
  • Parents and those living with roommates put family-friendly activities and accommodations at the top of their lists for their next trip
  • Couples without kids are most likely to want an all-inclusive resort experience when they travel next