The State of the American International Traveler—Key Insights & Trends

Based on their budgets, commitment to travel, and healthy travel sentiment, the American international traveler is a lucrative and highly marketable segment. They are highly motivated by a strong desire for new experiences and cultural understanding. They seek trip inspiration through traditional marketing mechanisms such as magazines, but also newer media like streaming and podcasts. They also love travel rewards programs. Keep reading for further details.

Demographic Profile

The American international traveler is defined as an adult American who has taken at least one trip (50 miles or more from home) in the past 12 months and is likely to travel outside the United States for leisure in the next 12 months. Here are some key demographic insights:

• Gender: 55.9% male, 44.1% female.
• Generation: Boomers+ (30.1%), Gen X (27.3%), Millennials (31.8%), Gen Z (10.8%)
• Marital Status: 62.7% are married.
• Household Income: The average household income is $142,145.
• Employment Status: 69.3% are employed full-time.
• Residence Type: Suburban area (48.6%), Large city (36.6%), Rural area (7.3%), Small town (7.4%). They over-index on urban residency.

Travel Sentiment and Behavior

American international travelers are optimistic about their financial future, with 55.7% feeling financially optimistic. This optimism translates into a higher prioritization of travel in their budgets, with 81.3% considering leisure travel a high budget priority in the near term.  In another indicator of their positive travel sentiment, American international travelers have been proactive about travel planning lately: nearly 60% have researched travel online and 33.1% made travel reservations in the past week alone. 

Travel Motivations and Preferences

• Like other travelers, American international travelers are commonly passionate about food & cuisine. But how their passions differ from other travelers are telling: they are much more likely than other travelers to be passionate about wellness, history, wine, and art museums
• They prioritize new places they haven’t visited before, including environments where they can enjoy nature and feel excitement and energy.
• Restaurants and meeting and interacting with local people are more important to their trip decisions compared to other travelers.
• They are also more likely to adjust travel plans to save money, with over one-third likely to adjust travel dates or destinations to take advantage of better deals.
• When we look at the destinations of their overnight trips, we can see American International Travelers especially love cities and beaches—but, compared to other travelers, are very open to other types of destinations. They are also much likelier than other travelers to choose cruises (29.5% took a cruise in the last year) and prioritize luxury travel experiences. 

More about American Luxury Travelers.

“When it comes to taking an international trip, I look for something that's not available in the United States, for example, like a particular culture or food or type of nature. I want something that's really a different experience from my day-to-day life here.  European countries and Asian countries have really deep history, long histories…especially very different cultures. We can experience diverse people, diverse backgrounds, diverse cultures, and everything”

Domestic vs International

American international travelers are likely to continue to choose international destinations in the near term. Over 80% of recent American international travelers say they are likely to take another international trip in the next 12 months.  Their top 5 most aspired international destinations for the coming year are Italy, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Japan. When we interviewed some American international travelers about whether they have specifically substituted international travel for domestic travel recently, here are some of the things we heard:

• “There are a couple of trips that I decided to go international instead of domestic, mainly because I haven't been traveling internationally much at all because of the pandemic, and I like to immerse myself in ways of life that are different from my own. I feel like I can learn a lot from traveling internationally, so I am really happy to get back into the habit of doing so this year.”
• “We try to do one big international trip every year. We also like to travel domestically. I think they have pros and cons. I think, you know, yes, the US is very big, and there are plenty of places here that I have not been, but also, there's a lot of things about the US that I don't particularly love. It tends to be very carcentric. We do cycling trips or walking holidays where we don't need a car that's a little bit harder to come by in the US. 
• “The thing that separates international travel apart is the fact that you're going to step into a unique cultural experience. It allows you to bring back such a different perspective, as opposed to traveling domestically, where you may be walking in the same footsteps as those that you do every day where you live.” 

Media Consumption, Resources, and Influences

American international travelers turn to traditional digital resources for inspiration—such as search engines and email campaigns--and are likelier to seek inspiration on Instagram, streaming services, and travel podcasts. Half of them have used online video to plan their trips in the past year, and three in ten have used a digital influencer to plan travel. In addition, nearly a third of American international travelers have used a travel advisor to plan their trips in the past year, twice the rate of other travelers. Two-thirds of American International Travelers say travel rewards programs are important to how they plan their trips. Over 80% use airline and hotel rewards programs and more than 60% have used credit card points to purchase travel in the past year.

Unlock More with Custom Insights

There’s still much more to uncover within the American international travel market. With a The State of the American Traveler subscription, you can elevate your brand’s marketing strategies and capture the attention of this high-value audience. Contact us today to discover how our tailored insights can help your brand soar.

Methodology

The State of the American Traveler study is a monthly tracking initiative that surveys a demographically and geographically representative group of over 4,000 adult American travelers. The data represented here includes data through August 25th, 2024, and has been segmented by international trip behavior.  It has a confidence interval of +/- 1.6%. Additionally, Future Partners conducted self-moderated video-based interviews with ten internationally traveling Americans to gather qualitative insights in September 2024.