Survey Reveals 72 Million Americans Plan to Travel by RV Next Year
The Survey Cites Growing Interest in Outdoor Exploration and Traveling with Children.
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RV travel continues to experience growing popularity in the US. According to a survey commissioned by RVIA and conducted by Cairn Consulting, an estimated 72 million Americans plan to take a trip in a rented, owned, or borrowed RV within the next year.
In a similar survey conducted in 2020, an estimated 61 million people said they intended to travel in an RV. The new report represents a 15 percent increase. Top reasons for the growing interest in RVing included exploring the outdoors and traveling with children, the study showed. Remote work and education also remained primary factors for families’ interest in RVing.
“There has really been a shift in people’s priorities over the past year and their desire to get outside and experience the great outdoors,” said RVIA Senior Director of Membership and Research Bill Baker. “So it makes sense that more people are turning to RVs as the best way to explore the outdoors.”
The Cairn Consulting survey showed that 12 percent of those planning to travel by RV in the coming six months also indicated it would be their first RV experience.
As many as 76 percent of leisure travelers plan to travel over the 2021 holiday season–Thanksgiving through New Year–the study revealed. That number represents 18.5 million Americans. As a whole, more than four in ten Americans plan to travel over the holidays.
“RVs continue to be an ideal way to travel to visit friends and family during the upcoming holidays,” Baker said. “Whether visiting iconic destinations or serving as a guest-house-on-wheels, RVs are the perfect way for millions of Americans to travel this holiday season.”
In a Zeta Pulse consumer sentiment survey conducted in October of this year, findings showed that car transportation will remain the preferred method of travel during the holidays (37 percent), likely due to COVID-19 concerns. In addition, 18.4 percent of travelers expect to camp or stay at an RV site in comparison to the 8.2 percent who plan to rent an Airbnb or VRBO.
