From the bougiest travelers to the biggest procrastinators, KAYAK maps out American travel habits by state

Rhea-AI Summary

The travel search engine KAYAK analyzed billions of search queries to reveal evolving American travel habits across states. The State Travel Superlatives report highlights significant behavioral trends, such as Alaskans seeking long-term stays (15%) and Texans showing the least interest (3%). Notably, Louisiana saw a 38% increase in searches since pre-COVID, while Maryland experienced a 15% decrease. The report reflects diverse preferences, from last-minute bookings in Nevada to business travel in New York, showcasing how Americans are adapting their travel choices.

Positive

• Louisiana saw the biggest increase in travel searches (38%) from pre-COVID to present.
• Mississippi had the largest rise in vacation package searches (54%) pre-COVID to present.

Negative

• Maryland had the largest decrease in travel searches (-15%) from pre-COVID to present.
• Maine experienced a 30% drop in vacation package searches pre-COVID to present.

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The travel landscape has changed drastically over the past year. How, when, and what Americans search for travel has changed. To better understand these shifting preferences, KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, analyzed its billions of search queries to determine how travel search behavior has evolved from state to state.

From the state with the bougiest travelers (we see you Rhode Island), to those most likely to book last minute (hey Nevada), KAYAK took a close look at travel habits from around the country. KAYAK's first-ever "State Travel Superlatives" map highlights the search behavior in each state to learn more about their travel preferences.

Is sleeping in or taking off early more important? Who's banking on those vacation packages vs. planning a trip like they're at a buffet? Some of what we saw was pretty predictable. For example, New Yorkers are the most likely to travel for business whereas Californians can be found road tripping across their state– no surprises there. Other data, however, was more surprising: travelers from Mississippi love a good deal, while folks from Ohio rarely catch an early flight.

No matter where you're from in the U.S., each state has its own set of unique travel trends that are worth exploring. Check out the full list of data-driven State Travel Superlatives below:

• Digital Nomads: Alaskans had the most amount of searches for long term stays (15%)
• Homebodies: Texans had the least amount of searches for long term stays (3%)
• In-State Explorers: California had the most amount of car searches in the same state as the searcher's location (37%)
• Out-of-State Explorers: Kentucky had the least amount of car searches (8%) in the same state as the searcher's location
• Staycationers: Florida had the most amount of staycation searches (70%)
• Wanderers: West Virginia had the least amount of staycation searches (11%)
• Ready to Travel: Louisiana saw the biggest increase in searches (38%) from pre-COVID to present
• Reluctant to Travel: Maryland had the biggest decrease in searches (-15%) from pre-COVID to present
• Deal Hunters: Mississippi had the biggest increase of vacation package searches (54%) pre-COVID to present
• A La Carte Travelers: Maine had the biggest decrease of vacation package searches (-30%) pre-COVID to present
• Early Birds: Montana had the most amount of early take off flight searches (3%)
• Most Likely to Sleep In: Ohio had the least amount of early take off flight searches (.3%)
• Procrastinators: Nevada had the most last minute searches (36%)
• Planners: Vermont had the least last minute searches (23%)
• Workaholics: New York had the highest number of signups for KAYAK for Business (9%)
• Vacation Seekers: South Dakota had the lowest number of signups for KAYAK for Business (.09%)
• Bougiest: Rhode Island had the most amount of business class and first class searches (4%)
• Most Frugal: Nebraska had the least amount of business class and first class searches (1%)
• Searchin' 9 to 5: Washington, D.C. had the most amount of searches during work hours (54%)
• After Hour Searchers: Oregon had the least amount of searches during work hours (44%)

"Americans haven't stopped traveling, they're just traveling differently these days and we wanted to highlight that in a fun way," said Matt Clarke, KAYAK's VP of North America Marketing. "Whether you're flying, driving, searching for a packaged deal or simply in need of a change of scenery, KAYAK has all of your options in one place to help travelers find what best suits their needs for a great price."

In addition to this year's "State Travel Superlatives", KAYAK also analyzed millions of verified guest reviews from 2020 to now, for its annual Travel Awards recognizing the best hotels, airlines and car rental companies of 2021 so when you're ready to travel, you can plan your trip confidently.

KAYAK's annual Travel Awards highlight the ways in which our partners are going above and beyond for travelers, according to reviews from the travelers themselves. All award recipients have not only met KAYAK's standards of excellence, but enjoy highly favorable reviews and ratings. To qualify, we looked at more than a full year of reviews left or accumulated on KAYAK.

For more information on KAYAK's Travel Awards and the full list of winners head to www.kayak.com/travelawards. 

About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car, cruise, vacation package. We also support business travelers with KAYAK for Business, our free corporate travel solution and are transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new hotel and accommodation software. For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

Media Contact:
Kayla Inserra
PR Director, KAYAK
kinserra@kayak.com

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SOURCE KAYAK

FAQ

What did KAYAK's State Travel Superlatives reveal about American travel habits?

KAYAK's analysis showed varying travel preferences by state, such as Alaskans favoring long-term stays and Mississippi's significant increase in vacation package searches.

Which state had the highest increase in travel searches according to KAYAK?

Louisiana had the highest increase in travel searches at 38% from pre-COVID levels.

What state had the largest drop in travel searches in KAYAK's report?

Maryland experienced the largest decline in travel searches, decreasing by 15% from pre-COVID.

How did travel search behaviors change in states like Nevada and New York?

Nevada showed a tendency for last-minute bookings, while New York had the highest number of business travel signups.

What are some travel preferences highlighted in KAYAK's report?

The report highlighted trends such as early flight searches in Montana and procrastination in travel bookings in Nevada.