AAA: Despite Millions Who Travel, People Prefer to Stay Home for Holidays

AAA:  DESPITE MILLIONS WHO TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAYS, 3 IN 5 PEOPLE PREFER TO STAY HOME

Yet, Majority of Travelers are Interested in Taking an Unorthodox Holiday Vacation to places like the Tropics instead of Grandma’s House

Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2012) ─ Spending the holiday at home is a time honored tradition in many households, but a growing number of Americans prefer a change of scenery. Three in four (75%) travelers are interested in taking an unorthodox holiday vacation, such as a cruise to the tropics or visiting another country, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey.  Click here to view the survey results.

While the majority of holiday travelers (62%) prefer to stay at home during the holidays, they’re still interested in taking a nontraditional vacation during the holiday season. Out of the top choices for an unorthodox holiday vacation, the tropics seem to rule.

The top four unorthodox holiday vacations travelers are interested in taking are:

• Cruise (63%)
• International Trip (55%)
• Tropical Vacation (50%)
• Trip to the Beach (37%)

Although travelers are interested in taking a more nontraditional holiday vacation, the majority of them (56%) have not taken one in the past five years. Instead, travelers have continued to visit and stay with family and friends. 

“The year-end holiday season is the busiest travel time of the year,” said Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman for The Auto Club Group. “Whether families plan a traditional holiday at grandma’s house or a cruise to the Caribbean, one thing is certain, being with family and friends remains the most important factor during the holiday season.”

The Auto Club Group, the second largest affiliation of AAA clubs, offers travel, insurance and financial services to more than 8.4 million members across 11 states and two U.S. territories.  This includes Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; most of Illinois, Minnesota and Tennessee; and a portion of Indiana.  The Auto Club Group belongs to the national AAA federation with nearly 53 million members in the United States and Canada, whose mission includes protecting and advancing freedom of mobility and improving traffic safety.

The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in the Southern Region of The Auto Club Group (Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee) from October 25 - 27, 2012.  A total of 629 residents completed the survey.  The survey has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.  Overall survey responses are weighted by gender and age within state to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18+) in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.