RVIA’s Holiday Travel Intentions Survey reported the 2023 holiday season will be one of the busiest on record.
The survey found 20 million consumers planning to take an RV trip between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The total is a 30% increase over 2022.
Overall, the survey found 122 million consumers, or 63% of all leisure travelers, plan to travel over the winter holidays.
RVIA President and CEO Craig Kirby said, “With the rush and stress that comes with traditional travel the holidays, people are choosing RVing as a way to still travel and see friends and family but do so in a more relaxed and comfortable way. Whether using an RV for guests or bringing your pets along for the ride, RVing allows people to spend more quality time with those they love this holiday season.”
More than half of RVers (55%) said they plan to take a trip within three hours of home, leaving less time on the road and more time enjoying friends and family over the holidays.
The survey found millennials more likely to stay closer to home, with 61% planning a trip within three hours, while 43% of baby boomer respondents said they are planning trips more than 16 hours from home.
The survey found the top reasons people are planning to go RVing are the love of road trips, the desire to travel in comfort, interest in exploring the great outdoors, and the affordability of RV travel.
Pets are another top reason the survey said consumers are choosing RV travel. The survey found 60% of RVers are planning to bring their pets with them rather than boarding them over the holidays. Of consumers taking pets, 87% will travel with at least one dog and 52% will travel with at least one cat.
