• Total U.S. domestic travel volume is 1.018 billion person-trips for 2001. Person-trips count both multiple trips and multiple people on each trip. The average travel party size is two household members.
• Leisure travel accounts for the majority (76%) of all U.S. domestic travel, registering 767.0 million person-trips. Leisure travel includes visits to friends and relatives, as well as travel for outdoor recreation, entertainment, and personal reasons.
• Travel for general business purposes (likely for meetings, presentations, consulting, sales, etc.) or to attend a convention or seminar accounts for 13 percent of all domestic person-trips (or 129.7 million). Travel that combines business with pleasure accounts for eight percent of all U.S. domestic person-trips (or 76.8 million).
• Auto travel—including travel by truck and recreational vehicle—accounts for the majority (74%) of travel in the U.S., registering 745.4 million person-trips. Air travel, on the other hand, accounts for 17 percent of travel in the U.S., registering 172.8 million person-trips. A larger share of business/convention person-trips than combined business/pleasure person-trips are taken by air.
• Short trips of one to two nights are more popular than trips of longer duration. Over half (54%) of all overnight household trips include lodging at a hotel, motel, or bed & breakfast establishment. Among overnight leisure household trips, staying with friends or relatives is more popular than lodging in a hotel, motel, or bed & breakfast establishment.
• Of 11 common trip activities, the most popular is shopping, included on one-third (34%) of all person-trips. Engaging in outdoor activities (17%) and visiting historical places/museums (14%) are also quite popular trip activities.
• Summer is the most popular travel season for travel, accounting for one-third (33%) of person-trips. A similar share of travel occurs in the spring (24%), as in the fall (23%). Winter is the least popular season of travel (20%).
• Nearly one in four (23%) U.S. domestic household trips include children. As expected, leisure household trips more often include children than combined business/pleasure trips.
• Person-trips most often originate in the South Atlantic, Pacific, and East North Central census divisions. Similarly, person-trips are most often taken to destinations in the South Atlantic, Pacific, and East North Central divisions.
• Nearly half of person-trips are taken to destinations within the state of origin. One quarter of travel is within the census division, but not in the state of residence. About one-third of travel is out of the census division of residence.
• Traveling household heads are 48 years old, on average. Average annual household income among traveling households is $68,800. Six in ten (63%) household trips are generated by married couple households. Nearly six in ten (57%) trips are taken by households with a college degree or more, and four in ten (42%) by households employed in professional or managerial positions. More than one-third (36%) of travel is taken by households with children at home. The Older Parents life stage group represents the highest share of all household trips. Young Parents and Working Older Couples comprise the next largest groups.
• Trips are most often taken by households residing in major cities or Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) of 2 million people or more. The rest of the trips are originated by households residing in large, medium, or rural/small MSAs.
• Of the five PRIZM cluster groupings, the largest shares of traveling households reflect the Suburb and Town PRIZM groups. The rest reflect the 2nd City, Rural, and Urban PRIZM groups. Of the 15 PRIZM social groups, the Elite Suburbs, Landed Gentry, and The Affluentials groups comprise the highest shares of all traveling groups.
• Most trips are taken by households that own their home. Most trips are taken by households that own personal computers and a majority of trips are made by households that own cellular phones. One in ten trips are generated by households that own an RV (12%).
• Compared to the demographics of all U.S. households, traveling households are more likely to be married. Households taking trips also tend to be more highly educated and are more apt to be employed full-time. Consequently, households taking trips tend to have higher average annual household incomes. Moreover, home ownership is also higher for households who take trips compared to overall households. Interestingly, households that travel are much more computer savvy than all households.

Comparison of Domestic Travel in 2001 vs. 2000

• Despite the tumultuous year, total U.S. domestic travel volume is up two percent over 2000.
• Shares of person-trips by month are unchanged compared with the same month of 2000. Actual domestic travel volumes on a monthly basis show some changes compared with that of each corresponding month in 2000. January through July travel volumes show an increase compared with the same months a year earlier. August shows a drop compared to August 2000. September also shows a similar decline. October shows an increase over the prior year. November volume plummets, but December volume rises dramatically over December 2000.
• Leisure travel volume is up three percent over 2000. On the other hand, the volume of business/ convention/seminar travel is down five percent. The volume of combined business/pleasure travel is up one percent.
• When examining the percent change in 2001 over 2000 monthly travel volumes by purpose of trip, year-over-year changes in monthly travel become more pronounced. In fact, the overall volume of travel for 2001 would have been greater had travel for business reasons not slowed down. Indeed, business travel volumes are most affected in September 2001. On the other hand, leisure travel volumes show a drop from the prior year only in August and November.
• Auto travel is up three percent over 2000. Air travel, on the other hand, is down over 2000. Exploring air travel by purpose of trip shows that monthly year-over-year volumes of business air person-trips fell much more in 2001 than did leisure air person-trips.
• Primary mode rental car travel is down moderately in volume over 2000. Secondary mode rental car travel has shown a similar decrease over the prior year.
• Hotel, motel, or bed & breakfast overnight household trips are down in volume from 2000.
• Group tours are up in volume compared to 2000.
• Demographically, 2001 and 2000 traveling households are generally quite similar, with just a few exceptions. The average age of traveling household heads is 48 years, up from 46 in 2000. Average annual household income among traveling households has grown to $68,800, up from $64,500 in 2000. Most trips are taken by households that own personal computers, up five percentage points from 2000. A majority of trips are made by households that own cellular phones, up six percentage points from 2000.

Historical Trends

• The overall U.S. domestic travel volume (1.018 billion person-trips in 2001) represents an eight percent increase from 1994, reflecting similar (9%) growth in the total U.S. population during the same period. Although person-trips have increased by eight percent since 1994, household trip volume in 2001 (564.3 million household trips) increased by only three percent.
• Air travel posts an eight percent increase, similar to the nine percent growth in auto travel between 1994 and 2001.
• Leisure travel volume is up 13 percent from 1994, while business/convention travel volume is down five percent from 1994. However, combined business and pleasure travel volume shows little change from 1994.
• The volume of leisure person-trips including gambling is up the most over 1994. Leisure travel that includes sports events and/or cultural events/festivals shows the next largest increases in person-trips over 1994. Person-trips including golf/tennis/skiing and/or outdoor recreation show the least growth during that same time.
• The greatest change in the demographic profile of travelers from 1994 has been with annual household income, education, and ownership of cellular phones and personal computers.

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