HomeToGo, the marketplace with the world's largest selection of vacation rentals, explores how U.S. travelers are planning their fall and winter getaways in 2022/2023
Where are U.S. travelers headed for the fall and winter? After a summer where surging international travel was accompanied by a wave of airport delays, flight cancellations and rising costs, the coming fall and winter seasons are predicted to see unique shifts in how people are traveling.
HomeToGo tapped into its wealth of internal search data, combined with a survey of U.S. travelers, to uncover the travel trends on the horizon for the 2022 fall and 2023 winter seasons.
Key Findings:
- Busier fall and winter for U.S. travelers: Four out of five U.S. travelers (80%) surveyed said they have overnight travel plans in the next six months.
- Fall foliage destinations are seeing the largest uplift in search demand: More travelers are packing up their hiking shoes and heading to cities known for their vibrant fall colors, especially in Colorado, Upstate New York, Maine, and Kentucky.
- Fall travel rises as a key shoulder season: During what is typically a quieter travel season, HomeToGo has observed a +28% annual uplift in vacation rental searches by U.S. travelers for trips between September and November.
- Accommodations are one of the most resilient travel categories amidst inflation: When looking to save money, travelers are more likely to look for cost savings on transportation (e.g. flights), food and drink, or activities ahead of opting for less expensive accommodations.
Trend #1: High Demand for Fall and Winter Travel
Similar to the summer travel season, a sense of confidence is returning for this fall and winter as plans become more predictable and the desire to visit new places grows.
- 80% of U.S. survey respondents are planning to travel in the next six months
- The average U.S. traveler plans to take 2-3 trips overnight trips the next six months
- Millennials are eager to explore – 86% are planning at least one overnight trip this fall or winter
- Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest U.S. travel holiday this fall/winter, more than one-third (34%) of survey respondents are planning overnight travel during that period.
Trend #2: Emerging Escapes for Fall & Winter
As the days become shorter and the temperatures cooler, a growing number of U.S. travelers are searching for stays in these quiet beach communities, mountain villages, and lakeside towns.
Destination
Search Trend vs 2021
1. Bar Harbor, ME
923%
2. Lake Cumberland, KY
813%
3. Keuka Lake, NY
714%
4. Watersound, FL
525%
5. Steamboat, CO
482%
Beehive Trail Summit, Bar Harbor
Mapped: Emerging Destinations for Fall/Winter
Trend #3: Rising Demand Meets Rising Prices
Despite the rising cost of living, more than half (52%) of respondents said their travel plans would not be affected by inflation over the next six months–indicating that many travelers still want to travel!
Those who said their travel plans would be affected by rising prices were asked where they would be most likely to cut costs:
Trend #4: The Fall Shoulder Season Gets Bolder
This summer had a turbulent start with many experiencing flight delays, lost luggage, and long lineups for attractions.
As we move into the quieter months before the holidays, we’re seeing a 28% year-over-year uplift in travelers searching for fall getaways on HomeToGo.com, signaling strong momentum for the season ahead.
Traveler Tip: The average daily rate for a vacation rental is 14% less expensive in autumn compared to summer.
Most searched destinations for fall travel:
Where are U.S. travelers looking to book vacation rentals this fall?
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Destin, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Trend #5: Cleanliness Over Price Tags
What are the most important factors when it comes to booking a vacation rental?
#1. Cleanliness
#2. Price
#3. Location
#4. Free cancellation
Hygiene is the top priority for travelers when booking accommodations. 63% of respondents ranked ‘cleanliness’ as very important factor when booking an accommodation, prioritized over other factors including price, location, free cancellation, amenities, and guest reviews.
Want to learn more about this forecast or the upcoming travel trends for autumn and winter?
About HomeToGo
HomeToGo was founded in 2014 with a vision to make incredible homes easily accessible to everyone. To pursue this vision, HomeToGo was able to build and constantly grow a trusted and easy-to-use technology platform that brings together property suppliers with travelers from all across the world.
HomeToGo operates a marketplace for alternative accommodation that connects millions of travelers searching for a perfect place to stay with thousands of inventory suppliers across the globe, resulting in the world's most comprehensive inventory coverage in the alternative accommodation space.
HomeToGo's marketplace is beneficial to both of its customer groups: Consumers who visit HomeToGo's websites gain access to the largest inventory in one place, and supply partners who use the platform's reach and technology solutions are better able to serve a wide range of customers and generate more high-quality demand.
While HomeToGo SE's registered office is located in Luxembourg, HomeToGo GmbH is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. HomeToGo operates localized apps and websites in 25 countries.
HomeToGo SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the stock ticker “HTG”. For more information visit: www.hometogo.com/about.
Methodology
This forecast focuses on vacation rental travel trends and search behaviors for the fall and winter seasons in the United States, taking place between 1 September 2022 and 28 February 2023. Findings are based on a combination of internal HomeToGo search data and external survey findings. More detailed information can be found below:
Survey Insights: Research conducted by HomeToGo among a sample of 500 U.S. respondents. To participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 or older. The survey was carried out online between 3 August 2022 - 5 August 2022.
Most Searched Destinations: Findings for the most searched destinations are based on traveler searches for vacation rentals on HomeToGo.com with following parameters:
Search Period 1: 1 June - 1 September 2022 with check-in dates between 1 September 2022 - 28 February 2023
Search Period 2: 1 June - 1 September 2021 with check-in dates between 1 September 2021 - 28 February 2022
Data was collected on 9 September 2022. Top emerging destinations have a minimum of 500 searches per year.
Shoulder Season Search Data: Findings for the annual year-over-year increase in international searches are based on travelers searching for vacation rentals on HomeToGo.com with the following parameters:
Search Period 1: 1 June 2022 - 1 September 2022 with a check-in date between 1 September 2022 - 22 November 2022
Search Period 2: 1 June 2021 - 1 September 2021 with a check-in date between 1 September 2021 - 22 November 2021
Data was collected on 6 September 2022.