NORWALK, Conn., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate
National Road Trip Day (Friday, May
28), Priceline did a deep dive into the resurgence of road
trips across the U.S., revealing that road trips have become so
popular in the last year that nine in 10 Americans have taken at
least one, with the vast majority (75%) taking more than four,
according to a Priceline Survey by
OnePoll.1
Being cooped up during quarantine inspired Americans to hit the
road, yearning to leave the challenges of the last year behind
them. And in some cases, leave their pandemic roommates behind,
too. In fact, seven out of 10 Americans want to take a road trip to
escape their quaranteam.
"People are ready to see new faces and places again," says
Ben Harrell, Chief Marketing
Officer, Priceline. "As the country continues to open up, rental
cars and road trips are a safe and accessible way to reunite with
loved ones and explore new, or rediscover favorite,
destinations."
Priceline's National Road Trip Day survey asked Americans about
their preferences when it comes to hitting the road, how COVID-19
has affected the way they take road trips, and identified different
preferences among various demographics. Some interesting trends
discovered include:
Gen-Z Looks to Escape Their Quaranteam
- Eight in 10 Gen Zers (ages 18-24) want to get out of their home
and are the age group most interested in escaping their
quaranteam.
- 78% of Gen Zers are comfortable taking a road trip prior to
being vaccinated, while only half of other adults would be
comfortable doing the same.
- However, Gen Zers were the most likely to want to road trip to
a destination with a lower concentration of COVID-19 cases (78%),
while Baby Boomers were the least likely (24%).
- Gen Xers and Millennials embarked on the most road trips in the
past year, taking an average of six and seven trips, respectively.
They're also willing to take longer road trips, with eight days
being the preferred average duration for both generations.
Northeasterners Racked Up The Miles
- Eight out of 10 Northeasterners want to escape their
quaranteam, more than any other region.
- 95% of Northeasterners have taken a road trip in the past year,
with Westerners in a close second (92%). Despite being the region
with the least roadtrippers, the majority of Midwesterners (71%)
have taken at least one road trip.
- 48% of Americans in the Northeast agree that a road trip is the
safest type of vacation right now.
- Overall, Americans in the South (both the Southwest and
Southeast) are most likely to rent a car (59%).
Men and Women Agree: Reuniting with Loved Ones is a Road Trip
Priority
- Taking a look at gender preferences, 65% of American men would
rent a car compared to 46% of American women, with men being 55%
more likely to rent a car because they want a fun ride, like a
convertible, for their road trip.
- Both men and women plan to take road trips to reunite with
loved ones. Women were 5% more likely than men to visit family,
while men were 13% more likely to road trip to visit friends.
- However, men were 35% more likely to take a road trip for the
primary purpose of spending time alone.
- Both genders were equally split (18%) in their desire to take a
road trip for the primary goal of visiting a destination with
outdoor activities.
- 60% of men are comfortable taking a road trip prior to being
vaccinated, while only 44% of women would be comfortable doing the
same.
The Majority of Road Trippers are Renting Cars
When it comes to getting around, the majority of Americans (59%)
want to rent a car for their summer road trips because they prefer
to avoid putting mileage on their own car (57%), want to ride in
style (59%), or just prefer to drive to their vacation destination
(49%). The catch is that as travel came to a halt in 2020, many car
rental companies reduced the size of their fleet to match
pandemic-level demand. Now, with travelers hitting the road again
and a global semiconductor chip shortage halting the production of
new vehicles, demand is high and rates have soared by 30 percent
compared to 2019 pricing.
"Vehicle shortages across the country have driven up the rate of
rental cars," says Lucy Bueti, VP of
Rental Car, Priceline. "My best advice is to book your car early
and to be flexible; flexibility on your car type, the pickup date
and the pickup location can result in significant savings.
Travelers can also unlock significant discounts, up to 40% off, by
booking a Priceline Express Deal."
To help travelers hit the road without breaking the bank,
Priceline—which has saved consumers more than $15 billion on travel since 1998—is announcing a
special National Road Trip Day offer, and that's on top of great
rental partner deals, including Hertz, Mex and Sixt.
Priceline National Road Trip Day Offer
- 10% off Express Deal rental cars and hotels. Maximum savings of
$50.
- Use code: ROADTRIP10
- Valid 5/17/21 at 12:00am EST until 5/30/21 at 11:59pm
EST
Partner Deals
- Hertz: Save $20 on weekly rentals
at airport locations (Valid 5/24 -
5/30/21)
- Mex: Save up to 20% on all Mex Rent A Car rentals in
Mexico (Valid 5/24 - 6/6/21)
- Sixt: Save up to 15% on midweek rentals (Valid 5/17 - 6/1/21)
- Visit Priceline.com or the Priceline App to see other partner
deals
As the experts in saving travelers money, Priceline is sharing
tips on how to get the best deal on rental cars and avoid high
rates this National Road Trip Day, and for all of your summer
travel plans. For additional information, visit
Press.Priceline.com.
About Priceline
Priceline, part of Booking Holdings
Inc. [NASDAQ: BKNG], is a world leader in travel deals. Priceline
offers exclusive discounts on hotels, flights, alternative
accommodations, rental cars, cruises and packages. We offer more
than a million lodging properties, helping travelers find the right
accommodation at the right price. We negotiate great deals every
day, and put our best pricing on the Priceline app. Our deep
discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars and more are also
distributed through our partnership brand, Priceline Partner
Network. With free cancellation for many rates, 24-hour customer
assistance and the option for both pre-paid and pay upon arrival
reservations, Priceline helps millions of travelers be there for
the moments that matter. For us, and for our customers, every trip
is a big deal.
For further information, please contact:
Christina Bennett,
christina.bennett@priceline.com
Nicole Salerno,
priceline@mbooth.com
1 Research findings are based on a
survey of 2,007 Americans conducted by OnePoll in April 2021.
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SOURCE Priceline