Travel & Hospitality
What Brands Need to Know About High-Income Travelers
Report summary
High-income consumers are a key audience for travel brands: Not only do they travel frequently and spend more than lower-income counterparts, they often set trends, shaping the entire industry. From bucket list adventures to all-inclusive escapes, this cohort engages in the travel space in a variety of ways, and by understanding their behaviors and expectations, travel brands can find better ways to meet these consumers’ needs, while also anticipating future travel trends.
Morning Consult’s report What Brands Need to Know About High-Income Travelers examines the attitudes, behaviors and expectations of travelers in households earning $100,000 or more annually. Based on a survey conducted October 10-11, 2024, among a representative sample of 4,450 U.S. adults and monthly survey interviews from October 2021 to October 2024 with around 2,200 U.S. adults each, this report provides insight into how these consumers interact with travel industry.
Key Takeaways
- Solid finances, good health and work flexibility means high-income consumers are frequent travelers.
- High earners balance iconic, bucket list sites with familiar favorites.
- High-income travelers still prioritize price and prefer booking directly with travel brands.
Data Downloads
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Methodology
This report is grounded in a survey conducted October 10-11, 2024, among 4,450 U.S. adults.
It also includes data from surveys conducted from October 2021 to October 2024 among roughly 2,200 U.S. adults per month.
The interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate respective populations of adults based on gender, educational attainment, race and region. Top-line results from all surveys have margins of error of up to +/-2 percentage points.
About the author
Lindsey Roeschke is an analyst whose work focuses on behavior and expectations of consumers in the travel & hospitality and food & beverage categories, particularly through a generational and cultural lens. Prior to joining Morning Consult, she served as a director of consumer and culture analysis at Gartner. In addition to her research and advisory background, Lindsey has more than a decade of experience in the advertising world. She has lived and worked in seven cities across four continents.
