Aarp survey: anticipated travel holds steady for 50-plus travelers in 2024

Travel is still a priority for the 50-plus population, according to the AARP 2024 Travel Trends report, in which 65 percent of those surveyed said they plan to travel this year,

statistically on par with the numbers from 2023. Travelers 50 and older expect to spend $6,659 on average in 2024, which is consistent with 2023’s average of $6,688, despite high travel

costs and inflation, according to the survey of 1,897 people conducted Nov. 3-21, 2023. Travelers 70-plus plan to spend $6,987 on travel this year. Travelers 50-59 plan to spend $6,054,

while those 60-69 expect to spend $6,865. Despite an increase in barriers to travel and the costs associated with it, “remarkably, [the 50-plus demographic is] holding steady,” says Vicki

Levy, senior consumer insights manager at AARP. “They’ve not declined in the amount of travel that they’re doing. They’re not spending any less. … It shows a strong desire, strong

prioritization, a lot of buying power strength.” For those likely to spend more, it’s because transportation and accommodation costs are higher, Levy says. “They’re not changing anything

about their travel. They’re just maintaining, and that just costs more in their perceptions.” As we move further away from the height of the pandemic, concerns about COVID-19 are less of a

deterrent to travel. Forty-six percent of travelers 50-plus are not concerned about COVID in 2024. In all age categories, those not concerned about COVID outnumbered those concerned about

it.