American Express : Has Travel Trends for 2022 Wishlists

When many consumers flip the calendar to the new year, they hope to fill up the dates with travel.

According to the latest Amex Trendex¹, a trend report from American Express, 58% of those surveyed across the United States said they have saved more money over the past year to get back out on the roads, in the skies and on the water. And 55% are planning on taking up to three trips in 2022.

While consumers are primarily opting for domestic travel in the short-term, cruises, multi-generational trips, U.S. National Parks, and safaris in Africa are among the inquiries American Express Travel Consultants have received from those seeking to recapture their wanderlust.

"I have booked more multi-generational trips than I ever have in 10 years," said Jamie C., American Express Travel Consultant, who has recently arranged customers' cruises to the Galapagos Islands, Caribbean, Great Lakes and Mississippi River.

American Express Travel Consultants, who are available for questions, consultations, and booking, say that many of their customers are asking about well-planned itineraries that don't leave much up to chance, such as an all-inclusive cruise or a theme park- and have flexible cancellation policies. There also are more would-be travelers expressing interest in international travel, especially to culture-rich European cities such as Paris, London, and Rome.

And some people are likely headed to have snow-filled fun, with American Express Travel Consultant Kathryn Z. noting that she recently helped a customer with a trip to see the Northern Lights in Finland, and handled calls from others asking about reindeer farms and snowmobiling.

"We're seeing strong demand from our customers to book travel right now. It's a big passion area for them and they are eager to plan their next trip, but even the most seasoned travelers are looking for a second opinion when booking travel right now," said Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel. "It's the resurgence of the travel advisor. Our customers are calling us more than ever to help with all aspects of booking a trip - from where to go, to what they need to do before traveling, to what to expect when they arrive." Not everyone is waiting until the new year to pack their bags. Almost half (47%) of Amex Trendex respondents said they planned to travel for at least one of the holidays during the year-end period, with Christmas the most popular at 31%.

A majority of consumers - 68% - also said they would be happy to forego gift exchanges with their family to go on a vacation with them instead. That number is even higher - at 77% - for those who prefer taking a vacation with their significant other instead of giving and exchanging gifts.

And a hint for the last-minute holiday-season shoppers: 65% of respondents are interested in receiving a domestic trip as a gift and 49% say the same about an international vacation.

Methodology: This Morning Consult poll was conducted between October 5-8th, 2021 among a national sample of 2,000 general population travelers with a household income of at least $70K, and defined as adults who traveled by air at least once in 2019. Results from the survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.