HomeToGo analyses 2020 Labor Day traveller trends

US: Vacation rental search engine HomeToGo has conducted a survey involving 425 American travellers to reveal the latest trends for the Labor Day holiday weekend [4-7 September 2020].

The study found that 46 per cent of Americans are planning an overnight getaway for Labor Day this year. Among those planning to travel, 74 per cent are expecting to work remotely or attend online classes for at least part of their vacation.

HomeToGo spokesperson Mike Pearce said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about work and travel in a big way. With telecommuting becoming the new norm for many families, our results show that the majority of travellers are planning to bring their work with them on vacation this summer.

“With the added freedom of working remotely, I also hope that people are taking the time to disconnect from work and enjoy their holidays,” he added.

The 2020 Labor Day Traveler Survey was conducted in the United States by HomeToGo between 13-17 August 2020, among 425 US adults between the ages of 18-70 years old.

To calculate the search and booking data, the company examined its own metasearch data for searches and bookings with check-in date during the Labor Day holiday weekend [4-7 September 2020] compared with the Labor Day holiday weekend from 2019 [30 August – 2 September 2019].

Key findings include:

• Who is planning to travel: 46 per cent expect to travel overnight for Labor Day weekend, while 54 per cent are planning to stay at home. Among those planning to travel for Labor Day, millennials [62 per cent] are the most prominent age demographic. HomeToGo’s search data indicates that overall searches for Labor Day vacation rentals are up by +40 per cent compared to last year.

• Where they are travelling: 77 per cent of respondents with Labor Day plans are planning to visit a destination they have not visited before. According to HomeToGo data, the top three most searched regions are: 1) The Outer Banks in North Carolina, 2) Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and 3) The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

• How far: The majority of travellers [65 per cent] are planning to stay close-to-home, under 200 miles, or approximately three hours’ driving time. Only 16 per cent are planning to travel 300 miles or more.

• How long are they planning to stay: HomeToGo booking trends reveal that the average length of stay for bookings with a check-in during Labor Day weekend is 7.22 nights.

• Who they are travelling with: The overwhelming majority of Labor Day travellers are planning to travel with their family [78 per cent], 24 per cent are travelling with their partner, while only 18 per cent are travelling with friends, and eight per cent are travelling solo [choose-all-that-apply question].

• How many will work remotely during their holiday: 74 per cent of those who plan on travelling for Labor Day said that they would also work remotely or attend online classes during their vacation. In total, 66 per cent of survey respondents said they plan to attend online classes or work remotely during their next holiday.

• How much will they spend: 58 per cent of Labor Day travellers say they are likely to spend more than usual on a long weekend holiday this year, while 42 per cent said that they would try to spend less this year.

The full report can be found here.

Last month, the company, along with other local travel startups including experience booking platform GetYourGuide, filed an antitrust complaint against Google, accusing it of stealing content and data, according to a report in German newspaper Handelsblatt.