Americans are eager to travel this holiday season, with certain strategies making those trips more feasible. One major advantage is the ability to work remotely, which is proving crucial for planning holiday itineraries.
According to the Deloitte holiday travel survey, nearly 49% of employed travelers are “laptop luggers” — individuals who plan to work at some point during their holiday vacation. This marks an increase from 34% last year.
This flexibility enables workers to take trips they might not have been able to otherwise enjoy or extend their vacations. The trend is particularly strong among Gen Z’ers, defined by Deloitte as those born between 1997 and 2012, and high earners, who make up the highest percentages at 58% and 52%, respectively.
Deloitte conducted the survey in September, polling 4,074 American adults, with 2,005 identified as holiday travelers.
Since the pandemic, the ability to work remotely has become a top priority for job seekers, according to Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter.
In the third quarter, 51% of job seekers surveyed cited the ability to work from anywhere as a key reason for seeking remote jobs, a notable increase from 40.8% in the first quarter of 2022, based on ZipRecruiter data.
Experts say that, in addition to working during their trips, travelers are finding other solutions, such as driving instead of flying or reducing other expenses, to make their holidays more affordable.
According to Morning Consult, a survey research firm, 52% of shoppers with incomes of $100,000 or more said they can “easily afford” the expense of holiday travel.
Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1996, have the largest travel budgets and the longest holiday plans among generational groups. According to the Deloitte survey, millennials are expected to take an average of 2.6 trips during the holiday season, spending approximately $3,927.
According to Bankrate, more than 4 in 5 holiday travelers are finding ways to cut costs this season, such as opting to drive instead of fly, while according to the 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook, about 50% of respondents are reducing other expenses, while 49% are taking advantage of discounts and deals.
The report also found out that, among other strategies to save up some costs, 22% plan to travel off-peak days, while 21% are using credit card point or miles to cover some of the total cost.
