IHG Reveals Which Traveler Trends Defined Summer 2020

New research from IHG Hotels & Resorts, which owns such brands such as Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Kimpton and Staybridge Suites, has provided insight into Americans’ 2020 summer vacations. Company bookings data collected from June through August suggest that ‘staycations’ are the definitive trend of 2020.

Brian Hicks, SVP Commercial and Revenue Management, IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented on the findings: “People are as eager as ever to travel, but the pandemic has understandably changed priorities when traveling. With enhanced cleaning measures through our IHG Way of Clean program and more flexible booking policies, people have continued traveling this summer, with many opting for a staycation in the U.S.”

Home Sweet Home: Given the many and assorted international travel restrictions that remained in place this summer, domestic travel did prove to be the order of the day, with 85 percent of U.S. travelers road-tripping closer to home. Over half of all guests chose to stay in hotels within 300km (186 miles) of their homes.

Roads Less Traveled: The inherent demand for increased personal space and less-crowded options saw folks spending their summer vacations in more rural areas. The Florida Panhandle, the Carolina Coast, Atlanta and West Texas made IHG’s top ten leisure destinations this summer, while big cities fell further down in the rankings.

Always Welcome: Although the travel industry has inarguably taken its biggest hit ever from the effects of the pandemic, IHG Hotels & Resorts experienced proportions of business and leisure bookings during summer 2020 similar to previous years, which it attributed partially to rooms being reserved for frontline workers and other emergency services.

“All around the world, from China to the U.S., we’ve worked closely with various organizations, governments and our hotel owners to assist our first responders and others in need by providing accommodations in hundreds of our hotels globally,” Hicks remarked.

Staying Spontaneous: With both international and domestic travel restrictions fluctuating almost constantly, guests have been uncertain about making their plans too far ahead of time. Lead times for hotel reservations have shortened in comparison to previous years, with 63 percent of guest bookings this summer made within just two days of stay, compared to 39 percent during the same period in 2019.

Because of the COVID-19 recommendations pertaining to older populations, it’s unsurprising that the steepest decline in hotel bookings from March through August was seen among seniors. The percentage of guests aged 65 and above fell from 18 percent in 2019 to 15 percent in 2020. While other age groups have demonstrated a steady recovery since the pandemic’s peak in April, it remains much stronger among younger demographics (35 and under).