WASHINGTON -- Baby boomers travel more than any other age group,
according to the 2000 edition of the Travel Industry Association of
America's (TIA) Travel Market Report.
Boomers, ages 35 to 54, took some 259 million trips in 1999.
Most flew (26%) and stayed in hotels or motels (60%).
The majority (35%) traveled specifically for business and spent
about $460 per trip. However, 13% spent more than $1,000 per
trip.
Whereas baby boomers appeared to be the engine powering last
year's travel figures, they were not alone. Indeed, U.S. travelers
overall took some 1 billion trips of 50 miles or more from home,
about the same as in 1998.
TIA said total domestic travel volume in the last five years has
increased faster than the increase in the size of the U.S.
population during the same period.
One of the main reasons so many people are traveling, according
to the survey, is the growth in household incomes.
The average annual household incomes of travelers increased from
$50,700 in 1994 to $61,500 in 1999.
Consequently, travelers are prepared to spend more. On average,
travelers last year generally spent about $438 per trip, including
transportation, up from $408 in 1998.