Memorial Day Travel Survey & Trends 2023 — Nearly 64% to Travel, Nearly 66% Say Inflation Affecting Plans, More than 61% to Still Road Trip, More than 60% to BBQ

Will you travel for Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend this year?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes, for a relative or friend’s party. — 21.35%
• Yes, for a vacation. — 17.83%
• Yes, for a day trip such as to the beach or lake. — 17.34%
• Yes, for a different reason. — 7.44%
• No. — 36.04%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — The oldest generation of American adults over age 60 are the least likely to travel for Memorial Day this year. 43.93% of people over the age of 60 said they will not travel for Memorial Day. On the other hand, the youngest generation of American adults aged 18-29 is the most likely to travel for Memorial Day. Only 32.37% of people aged 18-29 said they won’t travel.

Key Takeaway — Nearly 64% of all American adults stated they intend to travel for Memorial Day or Memorial Day Weekend this year. The 63.96% that stated these intentions represent 165 million people according to the latest census. It includes the 21.35% that will travel for a relative or friend’s party, the 17.83% that will travel for a vacation, the 17.34% that will travel for a day trip such as to the beach or lake, and the 7.44% that will travel for a different reason. The 17.83% that will travel for a vacation represents 46 million American adults. Overall, nearly 5% more people say they intend to do some sort of travel this year when compared to our 2022 Memorial Day Travel Survey.

Will continued inflation affect your Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend travel plans?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes, because I want to drive. — 21.84%
• Yes, because of increased airfare prices. — 12.93%
• Yes, because everyday items continue to be more expensive. — 30.75%
• No. — 34.48%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — American adults in the Middle Atlantic Region are the most likely to say continued inflation will affect their Memorial Day plans. 71.26% of people in this region stated this. The Middle Atlantic Region includes the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. On the other hand, American adults in the East South Central Region are the least likely to say continued inflation will affect their Memorial Day plans. Only 52.24% of people in this region said it will. The East South Central Region contains the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Key Takeaway — Nearly two out of every three American adults said continued inflation will affect their Memorial Day plans. The 65.52% represents 169 million people. It includes the 21.84% that said continued inflation is affecting them because they want to drive and the 12.93% that said continued inflation is affecting them because of increased airfare prices. Lastly, it includes the 30.75% that said continued inflation is affecting them because everyday items continue to be more expensive.

Will you take a road trip for Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend this year?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• No. — 38.59%
• Yes, within 100 miles of my home. — 35.95%
• Yes, within 250 miles of my home. — 15.48%
• Yes, within 500 miles of my home. — 5.68%
• Yes, within 1,000 miles of my home. — 2.15%
• Yes, more than 1,000 miles from my home. — 2.15%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — Men are more likely than women to say they intend to take a road trip for Memorial Day or Memorial Day Weekend. 67.91% of men say they intend to take a road trip this year. On the other hand, only 55.58% of women say they intend to take a road trip.

Key Takeaway — More than 61% of American adults say they intend to take some sort of road trip for Memorial Day or Memorial Day Weekend this year. The 61.41% who stated these intentions represent more than 158 million people. This means nearly 5% more or over 12 million more people intend to take some sort of road trip than last year for Memorial Day. Amazingly, nearly 10%, or approximately 26 million people, say they intend to road trip more than 250 miles from home.

What activities will you take part in for Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend this year? (Check All that Apply Except If You Are Checking the Last Choice.)

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Parade.  — 14.79%
• BBQ or Cookout. — 60.43%
• Fireworks. — 25.17%
• Beach. — 27.42%
• Lake. — 19.69%
• Sporting Event. — 7.84%
• Movie Theater. — 10.28%
• None of These. (If checking this choice, check nothing else.) — 20.18%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — Every age group said that a BBQ or Cookout is their most likely activity for Memorial Day this year. The youngest generation of American adults aged 18-29 is the most likely to watch fireworks or go to a lake. This generation was also far and away the most likely to say they intend to go to the movie theater for Memorial Day. The oldest generation of American adults over age 60 was the most likely to say that they intend to do None of These activities. 23.12% of people in the over-60 age group stated this intention.

Key Takeaway — More than 60% of American adults say they intend to take part in a BBQ or Cookout for Memorial Day this year. The 60.43% that said this represents 156 million people. This makes the BBQ or Cookout the most likely activity for American adults for the coming holiday. 27.42% of people said they would go to the beach which makes it the second most likely activity for American adults for Memorial Day. 25.17% of American adults said they intend to see fireworks this year making it the third most likely activity. Surprisingly, 20.18% or 52 million people say they will not take part in any of these activities for Memorial Day.

Survey Methodology

This 2023 Memorial Day Travel Survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of The Vacationer. In total, 1,021 Americans over the age of 18 were polled on May 1. Of those surveyed, 46.21% were male and 53.79% were female. The age breakdown of participants included in this survey was 14.85% in the range 18-29, 22.55% in the range 30-44, 42.57% in the range 45-60, and 20.03% over 60. This survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of ±3.13%. You can learn more about SurveyMonkey’s sampling method by clicking here.

The questions were chosen and the results were analyzed by the post author, Eric Jones, who is a Mathematics and Statistics Professor at Rowan College South Jersey.

Further Reading: How to Find Cheap Summer Flights

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.