The American Travel Survey estimates

that, whether traveling for business,

leisure, to visit friends or relatives, or personal business, Americans logged nearly

827 billion long-distance travel-miles

while completing 656 million household

trips in 1995.1 This profile examines the

frequency and characteristics of U.S.

leisure travel, which accounted for 27

percent of these household trips. By

comparison, about 30 percent of longdistance household trips were to visit

friends and relatives, 29 percent were for

business, and 14 percent were for personal business. 

As shown in figure 1, when broken out

by type of leisure trip, households traveling for rest or relaxation made 37 percent of these trips, followed by households seeking outdoor recreation and

entertainment—both at about 22 percent. The balance of leisure trips was for

sightseeing, at 14 percent, and shopping,

at 6 percent.

US Department of Transportation Bureau of Transpo rtation Stati stics AMERICAN TRAVEL SURVEY

Travel profile

AMERICAN 

TRAVEL 

SURVEY

Long-distance leisure 

travel

in the

United

States

1 A trip is

defined as

roundtrip 

travel to a 

destination 

at least 100

miles from

home.
Personal-use vehicles dominate 

leisure travel

Eighty-two percent of leisure trips were

made in personal-use vehicles (PUVs);

similar percentages of PUV use were reported for trips to visit friends or relatives

and personal business trips. In contrast,

only 65 percent of business trips were by

personal vehicle in 1995. 

Trips for shopping or outdoor recreation were more likely to be taken by

PUV, 94 and 90 percent respectively, than

were trips for other leisure purposes.

PUVs were used for about three-quarters

of both household sightseeing and entertainment trips and 86 percent of rest or

relaxation trips.

Leisure trips are less likely to be 

made by airplane

Less than 12 percent of leisure trips were

made by commercial air transportation,

compared to 32 percent of business trips

and 16 percent of trips to visit friends and

relatives. Trips taken for sightseeing purposes were more likely than other leisure

trips to be made by commercial airplane.

Over 17 percent of sightseeing trips were

made by commercial air as compared to

14 percent of rest or relaxation trips, 13

percent of entertainment trips, 7 percent

of outdoor recreation trips, and 3 percent

of shopping trips.

Over 8 million leisure trips were 

made by charter or tour bus

Leisure trips were more likely to be taken

on charter or tour buses than were trips

for other purposes. Over 4 percent of

leisure household trips were made by

charter or tour bus in 1995, equating to

more than 8 million trips. Less than 1 percent of business trips and trips to visit

friends and relatives were made by this

mode. With 10 and 6 percent respectively, entertainment trips and sightseeing

trips were more likely than leisure trips

for other purposes to be taken by charter

or tour bus (see figure 2).

Page 2

American travel survey

Personal business 14%

Business 29%

Visit friends or relatives 30%

Leisure 27% 

Leisure trips

Long-Distance Household trips

Shopping 6%

Rest or

relaxation 36% Outdoor

recreation 22%

Entertainment

22%

Sightseeing 14%

FIGURE 1

Leisure Trips as a Subset

of All Long-Distance

Household Trips

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data

NOTE

See selected trip

characteristics

in the

accompanying

tables starting

on page 10.
Page 3

Leisure Travel

Leisure trips average over 800 miles

Ranked by mileage, leisure trips fall in

the middle range of household trips, with

an average roundtrip distance of 823

miles. Personal business trips were the

shortest—averaging 776 miles roundtrip,

and business trips and trips to visit

friends or relatives were the longest—

averaging 964 and 858 miles roundtrip,

respectively.

Sightseers travel the farthest

The average roundtrip distance varied

greatly by type of trip within the leisure

category. Sightseeing trips were the longest, with an average roundtrip distance of

1,200 miles. The average roundtrip distance was 902 miles for rest or relaxation,

746 miles for entertainment, 662 miles for

outdoor recreation, and 362 miles for

shopping. 

Intercity bus Charter or tour bus Train Ship, boat, or ferry

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

Household trips (thousands)

Rest or

relaxation

Sightseeing Outdoor

recreation

Entertainment Shopping

Leisure trip purpose

FIGURE 2

Leisure Trips by

Selected Mode

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Percent

<300 300–499 500–999 1,000–1,999 <2,000

Rest or

relaxation

Sightseeing Outdoor

recreation

Leisure trip purpose

Entertainment Shopping

FIGURE 3

Leisure Trips by

Roundtrip Distance

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data
Figure 3 shows that about 18 percent

of sightseeing trips had a roundtrip distance of 2,000 miles or more, while only

13 percent of trips for rest or relaxation,

6 percent of outdoor recreation trips, 8

percent of entertainment trips, and 1 percent of shopping trips were in this distance category. In comparison to sightseeing trips, only 13 percent of business

trips, 9 percent of trips to visit friends or

relatives, and 9 percent of personal business trips were this long. 

More than 60 percent of household

shopping trips were less than 300 miles

roundtrip. The average roundtrip distance, however, was 362 miles, due to a

small percentage (11 percent) of shopping trips in excess of 500 miles. In comparison, 32 percent of entertainment

trips, 30 percent of outdoor recreation

trips, 27 percent of trips for rest or relaxation, and 20 percent of sightseeing trips

were less than 300 miles.

Households traveling for leisure average

over three nights away from home

Households on leisure trips spent an

average of 3.3 nights away from home,

slightly less than those on trips to visit

friends or relatives (3.7 nights). The

length of stay for household business

trips was the lowest, averaging 2.7 nights.

In comparison, the length of stay for

households on personal business was the

highest, averaging 4.0 nights. 

Households on trips for rest and relaxation tend to spend more nights away

from home, on average, than households

traveling for other leisure purposes.

These trips averaged 4.8 nights, compared with 3.1 nights for sightseeing, 3.0

nights for outdoor recreation, 1.9 nights

for entertainment, and 0.6 nights for

shopping. 

Half of households traveling for leisure

stay at hotels, motels, or resorts

In 1995, about half of the households on

leisure trips stayed at hotels, motels, or

resorts. Over three-quarters of households on sightseeing, shopping, and

entertainment trips stayed in this type of

accommodation, while households on

outdoor recreation or rest or relaxation

trips were much more diverse in their

choice of lodging (see figure 4). Data

show that about one-third of households

on outdoor recreation or rest or relaxation trips (33 and 39 percent, respectively) stayed at hotels, motels, or resorts. For

the remaining two-thirds, choice of lodging was more evenly distributed among

rented or owned cabins, villas, or vacation homes and campers, trailers, or

recreational vehicles. 

Comparing accommodations for trips

other than leisure, households on business trips tended to stay at hotels, motels,

or resorts (over 77 percent) while this

type of lodging was used for only 9 percent of household trips to visit friends or

relatives and 35 percent of trips for personal business.

Page 4

American travel survey
Page 5

Leisure Travel

About 19 percent of households on

leisure trips stayed in rented or owned

cabins, condominiums, or vacation homes

at the destination, with 9 percent renting

and 10 percent owning these accommodations. However, only 2 percent of

households on trips to visit friends or relatives, 4 percent of households on business, and 7 percent of households on

personal business stayed in rented or

owned cabins, condominiums, or vacation homes at their destination.

Few take leisure trips alone

Only a small percentage (14 percent) of

leisure trips comprised individuals traveling alone (see figure 5). Business trips

had the largest proportion of solo travelers, at 65 percent, followed by trips to

visit friends or relatives, at 35 percent, and

personal business trips, at 30 percent.

The average size of the travel party on

leisure trips in 1995 was 3.9 persons,

slightly higher than for trips for any other

purpose. In comparison, average travel

party sizes were 3.3 persons for personal

business trips, 2.3 persons for trips to visit

friends or relatives, and only 1.9 persons

for business trips. Larger party size may

be one reason for the less frequent use of

commercial air for leisure trips.

Within the leisure category, the average travel party sizes for entertainment

trips and sightseeing trips were the

largest at about 4.7 and 4.4 persons,

respectively.2 Leisure trips for rest or

relaxation, outdoor recreation, and shopping had average party sizes of 3.3, 3.8,

and 3.2, respectively.

Rest or

relaxation

Sightseeing Outdoor

recreation

Leisure trip purpose

Entertainment Shopping

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Percent

Friend or 

relative's home

Hotel, motel, bed

and breakfast, or resort

Cabin, condominium,

or vacation home

FIGURE 4

Leisure Trip Purpose

by Lodging Choice

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data

2 These

numbers

are

statistically

equivalent.
Outdoor recreation trips are more

likely to be taken by men

Overall, women and men were fairly similar in the number of leisure trips they

took in 1995. The only significant gender

differences in leisure travel lie with outdoor recreation and shopping trips: only

6 percent of leisure trips are for shopping, but about 60 percent of them were

made by women; over 22 percent of

leisure trips are for outdoor recreation,

but about 64 percent of them were made

by men.3

Leisure travel is concentrated in the

third quarter

In 1995, over 36 percent of leisure trips

were taken in the third calendar quarter

(July through September), while first

quarter leisure travel was the weakest at

about 16 percent. Leisure travel was split

more evenly among the second and

fourth quarters—approximately 26 and

21 percent, respectively.

Sightseeing trips were the most seasonal compared with other leisure trips. As

shown in figure 6, about 42 percent of

sightseeing trips began in the third quarter

compared with 38 percent of rest or relaxation trips, 36 percent of outdoor recreation trips, 33 percent of entertainment

trips, and 24 percent of shopping trips.

Leisure trips make up 43 percent 

of all trips abroad

Approximately 2.8 million long-distance

household trips were taken abroad in

1995. Of those, approximately 43 percent

were for leisure, 27 percent were for

business, 19 percent were trips to visit

friends and relatives, and 11 percent were

for personal business.

Leisure trips abroad were most likely to

be for rest or relaxation (43 percent) and

Page 6

American travel survey

Business Visit friends

Trip purpose

Leisure Personal business

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Percent

1 2 3 to 6 7+

FIGURE 5

Trip Purpose by

Travel Party Size

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data

3 Additional

data on other

social and

demographic

characteristics

can be

found in the

accompanying

tables.
Page 7

Leisure Travel

sightseeing (37 percent). In comparison,

12 percent of leisure trips abroad were

for outdoor recreation, 7 percent for

entertainment, and only 1 percent for

shopping.

Top destinations are diverse4

The top leisure destinations in 1995 were

California and Florida. Data show that

Michigan, Nevada, and Texas were other

notable leisure destinations. California

and Florida also top the list for sightseeing and for rest or relaxation trips; other

destinations of choice included New

York, Tennessee, and Texas. 

Michigan, South Carolina, and Texas

attracted many households for rest or

relaxation. For outdoor recreation trips,

California headed the list as the top destination, while Nevada topped the list for

entertainment trips. Frequently chosen

outdoor recreation states included Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and Texas. For

entertainment trips, California, Florida,

Missouri, and New Jersey were prime

destinations. Although no state was the

clear leader as a destination for shopping,

Minnesota and Texas were two of the

more commonly chosen long-distance

destinations for this type of trip.▼

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Percent

First Second Third Fourth

Rest or

relaxation

Sightseeing Outdoor

recreation

Leisure trip purpose

Entertainment Shopping

FIGURE 6

Leisure Trip Purpose

by Calendar Quarter

Source

US Department of

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation Statistics

1995 American Travel

Survey data

4 Destinations 

in this 

section are

unranked.
TRAVEL PROFILE DEFINITIONS

Bus trip

A trip in which the principal means of

transportation is intercity bus, charter or

tour bus, or school bus.

Business trip

A trip taken for business or business

combined with pleasure, or for attending

a convention, conference, or seminar.

Commercial airplane trip

A trip in which the principal means of

transportation is commercial airplane—

excludes corporate or personal airplane

trips.

Destination of trip

The place the survey respondent names

as the destination of the trip. If more than

one location is visited on the same trip,

the farthest point from the origin is considered the destination.

Household trip

A trip in which one or more members of

a household travel together.

Leisure trip

A trip taken for rest or relaxation, sightseeing, outdoor recreation, entertainment, or shopping.

Lodging

One of 16 categories of lodging used by

travelers as identified by survey respondents. Information gathered on lodging

types was restricted to accommodations

in which nights were spent at the trip

destination.

Main purpose of trip

The main factor motivating travel as

defined by the survey respondent.

Nights away from home

The number of nights spent away from

home on one trip, including nights spent

at the destination, on stops to and from

the destination, and on side trips away

from the destination.

Person-miles

An estimate of the aggregate distances

traveled by all persons on a given trip

based on the estimated transportationnetwork-miles traveled on that trip.

Person trip

A trip taken by an individual. (For example, if three persons from the same

household travel together, the trip is

counted as one household trip and three

person trips.

Personal business trip

A trip taken for a school-related activity

or for personal or family business, including weddings and funerals.

Personal-use vehicle trip

A trip in which the principle means of

transportation is car, pickup truck, or van;

other truck; rental car, truck, or van;

recreational vehicle or motor home; or

motorcycle or moped.

Pleasure trip

A trip taken to visit friends or relatives or

for leisure.

Page 8

American travel survey
Principle means of transportation

The means of transportation used for

most of the distance traveled from the

origin to the destination.

Roundtrip distance

The estimated transportation-networkmiles traveled from the household residence to the destination and back.

Travel party size

The total number of household and nonhousehold members traveling together

on a trip.

Trip

Roundtrip travel to a destination at least

100 miles from home. The following

types of trips are excluded: 1) travel as

part of an operating crew on a train, airplane, truck, bus, or ship; 2) regular commuting to work or school; 3) one-way

trips to move to a new destination; 4)

trips by members of the Armed Forces

while on active duty.

Vacation trip

Any trip reported as a vacation trip by

survey respondents.

Weekend trip

Each trip was classified as either a weekend trip or not a weekend trip. Travelers

who stay one or two nights away including a Friday and/or Saturday night are

defined as regular weekend travelers.

Those who stay three to five nights away

including a Friday or Saturday night stay

are defined as long-weekend travelers. ▼

Page 9

Leisure Travel
TABLE 1 Household Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics: 1995

numbers are in thousands

VISIT FRIENDS PERSONAL

BUSINESS AND RELATIVES LEISURE BUSINESS TOTAL

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Household trips 192,537 100.0 195,468 100.0 177,119 100.0 91,319 100.0 656,462 100.0

Principal means of transportation

Personal-use vehicle 125,036 64.9 159,981 81.8 145,590 82.2 74,532 81.6 505,154 77.0

Airplane 64,579 33.5 31,059 15.9 21,813 12.3 11,711 12.8 129,164 19.7

Commercial airplane 61,911 32.2 30,651 15.7 20,883 11.8 11,437 12.5 124,884 19.0

Bus 1,515 0.8 2,681 1.4 8,717 4.9 4,425 4.8 17,340 2.6

Intercity bus 181 0.1 1,693 0.9 522 0.3 359 0.4 2,755 0.4

Charter or tour bus 1,149 0.6 986 0.5 7,611 4.3 2,143 2.3 11,890 1.8

Train 1,252 0.7 1,711 0.9 641 0.4 596 0.7 4,200 0.6

Ship, boat, or ferry 60 0.0 29 0.0 287 0.2 15 0.0 391 0.1

Other 95 0.0 7 0.0 70 0.0 40 0.0 213 0.0

Roundtrip distance

Less than 300 miles 55,286 28.7 54,250 27.8 52,931 29.9 31,534 34.5 194,006 29.6

300 to 499 miles 45,221 23.5 53,566 27.4 51,307 29.0 24,378 26.7 174,477 26.6

500 to 999 miles 40,330 20.9 44,199 22.6 37,949 21.4 17,737 19.4 140,222 21.4

1,000 to 1,999 miles 26,958 14.0 22,557 11.5 16,932 9.6 9,772 10.7 76,221 11.6

2,000 miles or more 24,742 12.9 20,895 10.7 18,000 10.2 7,898 8.6 71,536 10.9

Mean (miles) 964 858 823 776 868

Median (miles) 470 448 416 402 438

Calendar quarter

1st quarter 48,589 25.2 35,581 18.2 29,073 16.4 17,715 19.4 130,963 19.9

2nd quarter 50,167 26.1 45,915 23.5 45,960 25.9 26,614 29.1 168,669 25.7

3rd quarter 49,535 25.7 53,311 27.3 64,191 36.2 26,874 29.4 193,913 29.5

4th quarter 44,245 23.0 60,661 31.0 37,895 21.4 20,116 22.0 162,917 24.8

Vacation or weekend trips

Vacation trip 12,498 6.5 129,933 66.5 139,675 78.9 19,084 20.9 301,197 45.9

Weekend trip 51,401 26.7 102,385 52.4 82,870 46.8 33,574 36.8 270,231 41.2

1 or 2 nights 

away from home 25,247 13.1 58,570 30.0 47,849 27.0 19,712 21.6 151,377 23.1

3 to 5 nights 

away from home 26,155 13.6 43,815 22.4 35,022 19.8 13,862 15.2 118,854 18.1

(continued)

Page 10

American travel survey
Page 11

Leisure Travel

Notes

Trips of 100 miles or more, one way. United States destinations only. Data are based on a sample and subject to sampling

variability; see text. For definitions of terms and meanings of symbols, see text.

VISIT FRIENDS PERSONAL

BUSINESS AND RELATIVES LEISURE BUSINESS TOTAL

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Travel party type

One adult, no children 

under 18 164,888 85.6 96,056 49.1 80,139 45.2 45,386 49.7 386,479 58.9

Two or more adults, 

no children under 18 20,076 10.4 52,159 26.7 55,723 31.5 27,188 29.8 155,147 23.6

One adult, children 

under 18 2,144 1.1 12,612 6.5 9,155 5.2 5,521 6.0 29,436 4.5

Two or more adults, 

children under 18 4,383 2.3 27,883 14.3 25,388 14.3 8,428 9.2 66,086 10.1

No adult, one or more 

children under 18 1,047 0.5 6,757 3.5 6,714 3.8 4,795 5.3 19,313 2.9

Nights away from home

None 62,887 32.7 28,038 14.3 40,554 22.9 32,538 35.6 164,032 25.0

1 to 3 nights 87,109 45.2 107,510 55.0 89,087 50.3 37,520 41.1 321,227 48.9

4 to 7 nights 32,262 16.8 40,043 20.5 35,271 19.9 13,702 15.0 121,279 18.5

8 or more nights 10,278 5.3 19,877 10.2 12,206 6.9 7,559 8.3 49,924 7.6

Mean excluding none 

(nights) 3.96 4.37 4.27 6.15 4.45

Type of lodging at destination

Total overnight trips 127,658 100.0 166,193 100.0 134,808 100.0 57,644 100.0 486,304 100.0

Friend’s or relative’s 

home 16,048 8.3 144,276 73.8 23,623 13.3 27,885 30.5 211,832 32.3

Hotel, motel, or resort 98,839 51.3 15,218 7.8 67,331 38.0 19,873 21.8 201,264 30.7

Rented cabin, condo, 

or vacation home 2,432 1.3 1,887 1.0 11,644 6.6 1,645 1.8 17,607 2.7

Owned cabin, condo, 

or vacation home 2,209 1.1 1,968 1.0 13,854 7.8 2,174 2.4 20,205 3.1

Camper, trailer, recreational 

vehicle, tent 1,115 0.6 1,247 0.6 9,003 5.1 580 0.6 11,944 1.8

Other type of lodging 7,015 3.6 1,597 0.8 9,353 5.3 5,487 6.0 23,452 3.6

Travel party size

One 122,332 63.5 68,169 34.9 25,346 14.3 27,456 30.1 243,305 37.1

Two 40,589 21.1 65,923 33.7 66,111 37.3 32,109 35.2 204,742 31.2

3 to 6 24,830 12.9 59,294 30.3 70,366 39.7 25,633 28.1 180,129 27.4

7 or more 4,070 2.1 1,061 0.5 15,295 8.6 5,414 5.9 23,238 3.5

Mean travel party size 1.90 2.27 3.86 3.31 2.74

TABLE 1 (continued)
Page 12

American travel survey

TABLE 2 Pleasure Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics: 1995

HOUSEHOLD PERSON- PERSON- PERSONAL-USE PERSONAL-USE

TRIPS TRIPS MILES VEHICLE TRIPS VEHICLE MILES

(thousands) (thousands) (millions) (thousands) (millions)

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

TOTAL 177,119 100.0 299,355 100.0 244,681 100.0 145,590 100.0 84,982 100.0

Principal means of transportation

Personal-use vehicle 145,590 82.2 254,186 84.9 148,548 60.7 145,590 100.0 84,982 100.0

Airplane 21,813 12.3 33,064 11.0 86,936 35.5 NA NA NA NA

Commercial airplane 20,883 11.8 31,581 10.5 83,695 34.2 NA NA NA NA

Bus 8,717 4.9 10,589 3.5 6,276 2.6 NA NA NA NA

Intercity bus 522 0.3 690 0.2 301 0.1 NA NA NA NA

Charter or tour bus 7,611 4.3 9,253 3.1 5,695 2.3 NA NA NA NA

Train 641 0.4 944 0.3 993 0.4 NA NA NA NA

Ship, boat, or ferry 287 0.2 483 0.2 1,773 0.7 NA NA NA NA

Other 70 0.0 90 0.0 154 0.1 NA NA NA NA

Roundtrip distance

Less than 300 miles 52,931 29.9 91,529 30.6 22,330 9.1 49,549 34.0 12,117 14.3

300 to 499 miles 51,307 29.0 87,249 29.1 33,560 13.7 47,153 32.4 18,124 21.3

500 to 999 miles 37,949 21.4 63,541 21.2 42,813 17.5 32,257 22.2 21,514 25.3

1,000 to 1,999 miles 16,932 9.6 28,043 9.4 39,685 16.2 10,624 7.3 14,513 17.1

2,000 miles or more 18,000 10.2 28,994 9.7 106,294 43.4 6,008 4.1 18,715 22.0

Mean (miles) 823 817 584

Median (miles) 416 410 374

Calendar quarter

1st quarter 29,073 16.4 49,365 16.5 41,158 16.8 23,000 15.8 12,852 15.1

2nd quarter 45,960 25.9 76,869 25.7 61,607 25.2 37,783 26.0 21,646 25.5

3rd quarter 64,191 36.2 114,643 38.3 93,516 38.2 54,886 37.7 34,053 40.1

4th quarter 37,895 21.4 58,477 19.5 48,399 19.8 29,921 20.6 16,432 19.3

Vacation or weekend trips

Vacation trip 139,675 78.9 240,673 80.4 216,247 88.4 113,723 78.1 71,421 84.0

Weekend trip 82,870 46.8 142,288 47.5 98,411 40.2 71,043 48.8 38,003 44.7

1 or 2 nights away 

from home 47,849 27.0 81,781 27.3 40,949 16.7 43,767 30.1 19,863 23.4

3 to 5 nights away 

from home 35,022 19.8 60,508 20.2 57,462 23.5 27,277 18.7 18,141 21.3

Travel party type

One adult, no children 

under 18 80,139 45.2 80,143 26.8 66,876 27.3 62,410 42.9 35,122 41.3

Two or more adults, no 

children under 18 55,723 31.5 106,044 35.4 93,899 38.4 47,161 32.4 28,923 34.0

One adult, children 

under 18 9,155 5.2 20,798 6.9 14,179 5.8 7,886 5.4 4,215 5.0

Two or more adults, 

children under 18 25,388 14.3 85,085 28.4 63,403 25.9 23,149 15.9 13,339 15.7

No adult, one or more 

children under 18 6,714 3.8 7,285 2.4 6,323 2.6 4,984 3.4 3,383 4.0

(continued)
Page 13

Leisure Travel

Key

NA = not applicable.

Notes

Trips of 100 miles or more, one way. United States destinations only. Data are based on a sample and subject to sampling

variability; see text. For definitions of terms and meanings of symbols, see text. 

HOUSEHOLD PERSON- PERSON- PERSONAL-USE PERSON-USE

TRIPS TRIPS MILES VEHICLE TRIPS VEHICLE MILES

(thousands) (thousands) (millions) (thousands) (millions)

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Nights away from home

None 40,554 22.9 65,769 22.0 28,848 11.8 34,530 23.7 12,940 15.2

1 to 3 nights 89,087 50.3 151,579 50.6 93,073 38.0 78,224 53.7 40,161 47.3

4 to 7 nights 35,271 19.9 60,872 20.3 78,889 32.2 24,537 16.9 19,800 23.3

8 or more nights 12,206 6.9 21,134 7.1 43,871 17.9 8,299 5.7 12,081 14.2

Mean excluding none 

(nights) 4.27 4.26 3.97

Type of lodging at destination

Total overnight trips 134,808 100.0 230,607 100.0 211,504 100.0 109,660 100.0 70,697 100.0

Friend’s or relative’s 

home 23,623 13.3 36,627 12.2 29,581 12.1 20,038 13.8 11,990 14.1

Hotel, motel, or resort 67,331 38.0 111,868 37.4 117,976 48.2 49,968 34.3 33,744 39.7

Rented cabin, condo, 

or vacation home 11,644 6.6 21,948 7.3 22,703 9.3 9,915 6.8 7,416 8.7

Owned cabin, condo, 

or vacation home 13,854 7.8 27,694 9.3 17,822 7.3 12,615 8.7 6,726 7.9

Camper, trailer, recreational vehicle, tent 9,003 5.1 17,391 5.8 11,874 4.9 8,853 6.1 5,937 7.0

Other type of lodging 9,353 5.3 15,079 5.0 11,548 4.7 8,271 5.7 4,884 5.7

Travel party size

One 25,346 14.3 25,347 8.5 25,346 10.4 18,581 12.8 10,142 11.9

Two 66,111 37.3 101,395 33.9 66,111 27.0 55,962 38.4 32,483 38.2

3 to 6 70,366 39.7 148,228 49.5 70,366 28.8 62,592 43.0 37,046 43.6

7 or more 15,295 8.6 24,385 8.1 12,692 5.2 8,455 5.8 5,311 6.2

Mean travel party size 3.86 3.91 3.31

TABLE 2 (continued)
Page 14

American travel survey

TABLE 3 Person Trips by Leisure Purpose: 1995

numbers are in thousands

VISIT FRIENDS PERSONAL

BUSINESS AND RELATIVES LEISURE BUSINESS TOTAL

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

All person-trips 224,835 100.0 330,755 100.0 299,355 100.0 146,338 100.0 1,001,319 100.0

Age and sex

Total 224,835 100.0 330,755 100.0 299,355 100.0 146,338 100.0 1,001,319 100.0

Under 18 years 10,854 4.8 67,388 20.4 56,505 18.9 25,020 17.1 159,779 16.0

18 to 24 years 11,005 4.9 36,647 11.1 27,547 9.2 16,930 11.6 92,129 9.2

25 to 29 years 16,882 7.5 32,520 9.8 22,294 7.4 8,362 5.7 80,060 8.0

30 to 39 years 58,481 26.0 56,578 17.1 52,772 17.6 22,073 15.1 189,917 19.0

40 to 49 years 66,699 29.7 47,826 14.5 57,093 19.1 28,369 19.4 199,991 20.0

50 to 59 years 37,967 16.9 39,005 11.8 39,859 13.3 21,008 14.4 137,841 13.8

60 to 64 years 10,529 4.7 15,306 4.6 15,518 5.2 7,329 5.0 48,683 4.9

65 years and over 12,417 5.5 35,486 10.7 27,767 9.3 17,247 11.8 92,919 9.3

Median (years) 42 NA 34 NA 38 NA 40 NA 38 NA

Female 67,432 30.0 170,735 51.6 139,776 46.7 72,544 49.6 450,512 45.0

Under 18 years 5,742 2.6 34,018 10.3 27,086 9.0 12,727 8.7 79,580 7.9

18 to 24 years 3,426 1.5 19,097 5.8 11,902 4.0 8,317 5.7 42,743 4.3

25 to 29 years 5,470 2.4 16,581 5.0 10,305 3.4 4,064 2.8 36,422 3.6

30 to 39 years 17,317 7.7 28,964 8.8 24,959 8.3 11,220 7.7 82,471 8.2

40 to 49 years 17,414 7.7 25,826 7.8 26,847 9.0 14,047 9.6 84,135 8.4

50 to 59 years 10,627 4.7 20,162 6.1 18,430 6.2 10,500 7.2 59,721 6.0

60 to 64 years 2,784 1.2 7,686 2.3 7,479 2.5 3,361 2.3 21,310 2.1

65 years and over 4,652 2.1 18,401 5.6 12,768 4.3 8,307 5.7 44,129 4.4

Median (years) 40 NA 35 NA 38 NA 39 NA 37 NA

Race and origin

Hispanic 3,058 4.7 1,190 4.9 1,668 4.2 2,009 5.4 449 4.3

White Non-Hispanic 54,965 84.5 20,633 85.0 36,289 91.0 31,337 83.7 8,804 84.1

Black Non-Hispanic 4,993 7.7 1,256 5.2 1,095 2.7 2,433 6.5 517 4.9

Asian Non-Hispanic 1,380 2.1 833 3.4 397 1.0 1,249 3.3 256 2.4

Household income

Less than $25,000 24,103 10.7 67,798 20.5 36,287 12.1 27,359 18.7 155,555 15.5

$25,000 to $39,999 38,315 17.0 72,558 21.9 55,917 18.7 34,166 23.3 200,981 20.1

$40,000 to $49,999 35,945 16.0 54,487 16.5 50,689 16.9 25,576 17.5 166,699 16.6

$50,000 to $59,999 32,319 14.4 47,411 14.3 44,579 14.9 19,638 13.4 143,946 14.4

$60,000 to $74,999 32,882 14.6 39,121 11.8 45,226 15.1 17,118 11.7 134,348 13.4

$75,000 to $99,999 30,123 13.4 28,083 8.5 34,128 11.4 12,364 8.4 104,698 10.5

$100,000 or more 31,148 13.9 21,298 6.4 32,530 10.9 10,117 6.9 95,092 9.5

(continued)
Page 15

Leisure Travel

Key

NA = not applicable.

Notes

Trips of 100 miles or more, one way. Excludes travel outside the United States. Data are based on a sample and subject to

sampling variability; see documentation. For definitions of terms, see text. 

VISIT FRIENDS PERSONAL

BUSINESS AND RELATIVES LEISURE BUSINESS TOTAL

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Household type

Family household 186,310 82.9 271,075 82.0 256,164 85.6 126,855 86.7 840,438 83.9

Married-couple family 

household 168,915 75.1 224,796 68.0 223,655 74.7 109,589 74.9 726,982 72.6

With children 

under 18 years 86,092 38.3 118,559 35.8 120,060 40.1 54,409 37.2 379,139 37.9

Female householder 10,279 4.6 32,194 9.7 21,497 7.2 12,965 8.9 76,942 7.7

With children under 

18 years 5,029 2.2 19,349 5.8 11,831 4.0 7,176 4.9 43,389 4.3

Male householder 7,115 3.2 14,086 4.3 11,013 3.7 4,301 2.9 36,515 3.6

With children under 

18 years 2,236 1.0 4,743 1.4 4,275 1.4 1,972 1.3 13,226 1.3

Nonfamily household 38,526 17.1 59,680 18.0 43,190 14.4 19,483 13.3 160,881 16.1

Educational attainment

Total persons 16 years 

and over 215,246 100.0 268,921 100.0 249,638 100.0 125,798 100.0 859,629 100.0

Less than high school 

graduate 8,174 3.8 25,155 9.4 19,552 8.0 15,440 12.0 68,338 7.9

High school graduate 43,467 20.2 70,404 26.2 69,730 27.9 35,946 28.6 219,549 25.5

Some college,no degree 38,905 18.1 60,100 22.3 55,431 22.2 27,706 22.0 182,146 21.2

Associate’s degree 15,516 7.2 17,801 6.6 17,190 6.9 7,924 6.3 58,431 6.8

Bachelor’s degree 60,350 28.0 59,235 22.0 52,144 20.9 21,921 17.4 193,651 22.5

Some grad school or 

grad degree 48,833 22.7 36,226 13.5 35,591 14.3 16,862 13.4 137,513 16.0

Activity status

Total persons 16 years 

and over 215,246 100.0 268,921 100.0 249,638 100.0 125,798 100.0 859,629 100.0

Working full time 177,361 82.4 151,675 56.4 154,936 62.1 63,250 50.3 547,232 63.7

Retired 10,148 4.7 36,331 13.5 30,568 12.2 17,991 14.3 95,039 11.1

Other 27,736 12.9 80,914 30.1 64,134 25.7 44,557 35.4 217,357 25.3

TABLE 3 (continued)
Page 16

American travel survey

TABLE 4 Pleasure Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics: 1995

numbers are in thousands

REST OR OUTDOOR

RELAXATION SIGHTSEEING RECREATION ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

TOTAL 65,017 100.0 24,272 100.0 39,899 100.0 37,456 100.0 10,474 100.0

Principal means of transportation

Personal-use vehicle 53,780 82.7 18,069 74.4 35,987 90.2 27,920 74.5 9,834 93.9

Airplane 9,253 14.2 4,297 17.7 2,927 7.3 5,053 13.5 283 2.7

Commercial airplane 8,928 13.7 4,188 17.3 2,608 6.5 4,898 13.1 262 2.5

Bus 1,596 2.5 1,547 6.4 896 2.2 4,337 11.6 341 3.3

Intercity bus 163 0.3 42 0.2 34 0.1 270 0.7 12 0.1

Charter or tour bus 1,374 2.1 1,462 6.0 580 1.5 3,870 10.3 325 3.1

Train 184 0.3 296 1.2 27 0.1 120 0.3 14 0.1

Ship, boat, or ferry 197 0.3 57 0.2 28 0.1 5 0.0 0 0.0

Other 7 0.0 7 0.0 33 0.1 22 0.1 1 0.0

Roundtrip distance

Less than 300 miles 17,334 26.7 4,925 20.3 12,115 30.4 12,050 32.2 6,507 62.1

300 to 499 miles 18,934 29.1 5,881 24.2 13,542 33.9 10,208 27.3 2,743 26.2

500 to 999 miles 13,810 21.2 5,579 23.0 8,480 21.3 9,109 24.3 971 9.3

1,000 to 1,999 miles 6,706 10.3 3,589 14.8 3,439 8.6 3,038 8.1 160 1.5

2,000 miles or more 8,233 12.7 4,299 17.7 2,324 5.8 3,051 8.1 93 0.9

Mean (miles) 902 1,197 662 746 362

Median (miles) 440 580 396 412 268

Calendar quarter

1st quarter 11,061 17.0 2,587 10.7 7,232 18.1 6,396 17.1 1,797 17.2

2nd quarter 17,943 27.6 6,290 25.9 9,998 25.1 9,430 25.2 2,299 21.9

3rd quarter 24,906 38.3 10,220 42.1 14,147 35.5 12,365 33.0 2,554 24.4

4th quarter 11,107 17.1 5,176 21.3 8,521 21.4 9,266 24.7 3,825 36.5

Vacation or weekend trips

Vacation trip 56,688 87.2 21,240 87.5 31,775 79.6 26,261 70.1 3,711 35.4

Weekend trip 33,697 51.8 9,566 39.4 21,275 53.3 16,215 43.3 2,118 20.2

1 or 2 nights away 

from home 18,404 28.3 5,023 20.7 12,362 31.0 10,369 27.7 1,691 16.1

3 to 5 nights away 

from home 15,293 23.5 4,543 18.7 8,913 22.3 5,846 15.6 427 4.1

(continued)
Page 17

Leisure Travel

Notes

Trips of 100 miles or more, one way. United States destinations only. Data are based on a sample and subject to sampling

variability; see text. For definitions of terms and meanings of symbols, see text.

REST OR OUTDOOR

RELAXATION SIGHTSEEING RECREATION ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Travel party type

One adult, no children 

under 18 27,000 41.5 9,252 38.1 20,201 50.6 18,689 49.9 4,996 47.7

Two or more adults,

no children under 18 23,465 36.1 8,732 36.0 8,931 22.4 11,301 30.2 3,294 31.5

One adult, children 

under 18 2,659 4.1 1,475 6.1 2,516 6.3 1,724 4.6 781 7.5

Two or more adults, 

children under 18 10,191 15.7 3,890 16.0 5,873 14.7 4,170 11.1 1,265 12.1

No adult, one or more 

children under 18 1,702 2.6 923 3.8 2,378 6.0 1,572 4.2 138 1.3

Nights away from home

None 7,078 10.9 6,241 25.7 7,533 18.9 12,441 33.2 7,261 69.3

1 to 3 nights 33,998 52.3 10,841 44.7 21,885 54.9 19,375 51.7 2,989 28.5

4 to 7 nights 16,898 26.0 5,189 21.4 8,200 20.6 4,785 12.8 200 1.9

8 or more nights 7,044 10.8 2,002 8.2 2,281 5.7 855 2.3 25 0.2

Mean excluding none 

(nights) 5.43 4.16 3.63 2.76 1.98

Type of lodging at destination

Total overnight trips 57,531 100.0 17,420 100.0 32,025 100.0 24,712 100.0 3,119 100.0

Friend's or relative's 

home 13,148 20.2 1,665 6.9 4,769 12.0 3,248 8.7 793 7.6

Hotel, motel, or resort 22,301 34.3 13,274 54.7 10,619 26.6 18,916 50.5 2,220 21.2

Rented cabin, condo, 

or vacation home 6,691 10.3 745 3.1 3,898 9.8 272 0.7 38 0.4

Owned cabin, condo, or 

vacation home 9,984 15.4 292 1.2 3,304 8.3 239 0.6 34 0.3

Camper, trailer, recreational vehicle, tent 3,004 4.6 755 3.1 4,422 11.1 795 2.1 27 0.3

Other type of lodging 2,403 3.7 689 2.8 5,013 12.6 1,242 3.3 7 0.1

Travel party size

One 10,718 16.5 2,347 9.7 6,098 15.3 4,705 12.6 1,477 14.1

Two 26,334 40.5 8,858 36.5 12,926 32.4 13,380 35.7 4,613 44.0

3 to 6 23,733 36.5 10,728 44.2 17,067 42.8 14,874 39.7 3,963 37.8

7 or more 4,232 6.5 2,339 9.6 3,807 9.5 4,496 12.0 421 4.0

Mean travel 

party size 3.33 4.36 3.81 4.70 3.15

TABLE 4 (continued)
Page 18

American travel survey

TABLE 5 Person Trips by Leisure Purpose: 1995

numbers are in thousands

REST OR OUTDOOR

RELAXATION SIGHTSEEING RECREATION ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

All person trips 115,154 100.0 42,649 100.0 65,418 100.0 58,757 100.0 17,376 100.0

Age and sex

Total 115,154 100.0 42,649 100.0 65,418 100.0 58,757 100.0 17,376 100.0

Under 18 years 20,911 18.2 8,780 20.6 14,673 22.4 9,318 15.9 2,823 16.2

18 to 24 years 10,654 9.3 2,956 6.9 5,647 8.6 6,818 11.6 1,472 8.5

25 to 29 years 8,247 7.2 2,743 6.4 5,685 8.7 4,405 7.5 1,215 7.0

30 to 39 years 20,338 17.7 7,185 16.8 13,021 19.9 9,546 16.2 2,682 15.4

40 to 49 years 21,518 18.7 7,460 17.5 13,557 20.7 10,822 18.4 3,736 21.5

50 to 59 years 16,498 14.3 5,843 13.7 7,129 10.9 7,641 13.0 2,748 15.8

60 to 64 years 6,803 5.9 2,372 5.6 2,495 3.8 2,816 4.8 1,033 5.9

65 years and over 10,186 8.8 5,312 12.5 3,211 4.9 7,392 12.6 1,666 9.6

Median (years) 38 NA 39 NA 35 NA 39 NA 41 NA

Female 56,458 49.0 21,378 50.1 23,564 36.0 27,959 47.6 10,417 60.0

Under 18 years 11,011 9.6 4,291 10.1 6,006 9.2 4,180 7.1 1,598 9.2

18 to 24 years 4,475 3.9 1,380 3.2 1,833 2.8 3,227 5.5 988 5.7

25 to 29 years 4,395 3.8 1,410 3.3 1,888 2.9 1,882 3.2 731 4.2

30 to 39 years 9,891 8.6 3,499 8.2 5,015 7.7 4,873 8.3 1,681 9.7

40 to 49 years 10,989 9.5 3,758 8.8 4,643 7.1 5,130 8.7 2,327 13.4

50 to 59 years 7,968 6.9 3,038 7.1 2,416 3.7 3,478 5.9 1,529 8.8

60 to 64 years 3,274 2.8 1,214 2.8 725 1.1 1,667 2.8 599 3.4

65 years and over 4,455 3.9 2,788 6.5 1,039 1.6 3,523 6.0 963 5.5

Median (years) 38 NA 40 NA 34 NA 39 NA 40 NA

Race and origin

Hispanic 6,123 3.2 19,255 5.2 10,881 5.6 8,373 4.7 4,358 4.8

White Non-Hispanic 173,194 90.0 316,248 84.9 164,220 84.0 152,028 85.8 77,915 85.3

Black Non-Hispanic 7,493 3.9 24,553 6.6 14,259 7.3 10,294 5.8 6,190 6.8

Asian Non-Hispanic 3,435 1.8 8,278 2.2 4,163 2.1 4,115 2.3 1,742 1.9

Household income

Less than $25,000 12,343 10.7 6,074 14.2 5,347 8.2 9,388 16.0 3,135 18.0

$25,000 to $39,999 19,203 16.7 8,841 20.7 10,941 16.7 12,411 21.1 4,520 26.0

$40,000 to $49,999 18,811 16.3 6,901 16.2 12,010 18.4 9,587 16.3 3,380 19.5

$50,000 to $59,999 16,871 14.7 6,815 16.0 10,322 15.8 8,462 14.4 2,109 12.1

$60,000 to $74,999 18,924 16.4 6,325 14.8 10,747 16.4 7,454 12.7 1,776 10.2

$75,000 to $99,999 14,684 12.8 3,983 9.3 7,885 12.1 6,093 10.4 1,483 8.5

$100,000 or more 14,318 12.4 3,710 8.7 8,166 12.5 5,362 9.1 973 5.6

(continued)
Page 19

Leisure Travel

Key

NA = not applicable.

Notes

Trips of 100 miles or more, one way. Excludes travel outside the United States. Data are based on a sample and subject to

sampling variability; see text. For definitions of terms, see text. 

REST OR OUTDOOR

RELAXATION SIGHTSEEING RECREATION ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING

Trip characteristics Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Household type

Family household 99,573 86.5 36,208 84.9 56,898 87.0 48,426 82.4 15,058 86.7

Married-couple 

family household 87,646 76.1 31,219 73.2 50,763 77.6 40,784 69.4 13,243 76.2

With children under 

18 years 44,278 38.5 16,358 38.4 31,177 47.7 21,294 36.2 6,952 40.0

Female householder 7,584 6.6 3,534 8.3 3,613 5.5 5,366 9.1 1,399 8.1

With children 

under 18 years 4,306 3.7 1,944 4.6 2,028 3.1 2,616 4.5 936 5.4

Male householder 4,343 3.8 1,456 3.4 2,522 3.9 2,276 3.9 416 2.4

With children 

under 18 years 885 0.8 851 2.0 1,519 2.3 870 1.5 150 0.9

Nonfamily household 15,581 13.5 6,441 15.1 8,520 13.0 10,331 17.6 2,317 13.3

Educational attainment

Total persons 16 years 

and over 96,388 100.0 34,595 100.0 52,868 100.0 50,804 100.0 14,983 100.0

Less than high school 

graduate 6,443 6.7 2,559 7.4 4,303 8.0 5,000 10.0 1,247 8.3

High school graduate 25,716 26.7 9,179 26.5 14,044 26.6 16,211 31.9 4,581 30.6

Some college,

no degree 21,507 22.3 6,962 20.1 11,764 22.3 11,484 22.6 3,713 24.8

Associate's degree 7,323 7.6 2,499 7.2 3,373 6.4 3,127 6.2 868 5.8

Bachelor's degree 21,074 21.9 7,733 22.4 11,677 22.1 8,968 17.7 2,691 18.0

Some grad school or 

graduate degree 14,325 14.9 5,662 16.4 7,706 14.6 6,014 11.8 1,883 12.6

Activity status

Total persons 16 years 

and over 96,388 100.0 34,595 100.0 52,868 100.0 50,804 100.0 14,983 100.0

Working full time 61,099 63.4 19,849 57.4 35,953 68.0 29,143 57.4 8,893 59.4

Retired 11,283 11.7 5,514 15.9 4,344 8.2 7,824 15.4 1,603 10.7

Other 24,007 24.9 9,231 26.7 12,571 23.8 13,837 27.2 4,488 30.0

TABLE 5 (continued)
US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS

RODNEY E. SLATER ASHISH K. SEN

Secretary Director

MORTIMER L. DOWNEY ROBERT A. KNISELY

Deputy Secretary Deputy Director

ROLF R. SCHMITT

Associate Director for Transportation Studies

SUSAN J. LAPHAM

Acting Associate Director for Statistical 

Programs and Services

About the Bureau of Transportation Statistics

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), an operating administration of the U.S.

Department of Transportation (DOT), is a national statistical agency, DOT's representative

on the Federal Geographic Data Committee, and the home of the National Transportation

Library. BTS compiles, analyzes, and makes accessible information about the

nation's transportation systems; collects information on various aspects of transportation;

and enhances the quality and effectiveness of the Department's statistical programs

through research, the development of guidelines, and the promotion of improvements in

data acquisition and use.

About the American Travel Survey

The American Travel Survey (ATS) collected information on long-distance travel from

approximately 65,000 U.S. households in 1995. Long-distance travel is defined as a

roundtrip to a destination at least 100 miles from the home. The ATS provides data on a

variety of trip and traveler characteristics in America, including the trip purpose, the

means of transportation, the trip origin and destination, the dates of departure and return,

and the social and demographic characteristics of travelers and non-travelers.

The Leisure Travel Profile contains information on long-distance trips made for rest

or relaxation, sightseeing, outdoor recreation, entertainment, and shopping. The profile is

intended to give a sample of the kinds of data available from the ATS.

This report was written by Heather Contrino and William Mallett with assistance from

Eugene Brown. For further information on this topic, please contact William Mallett at 

202-366-6663.

For information about other BTS products and services, please contact the Bureau by any of

the following:

mail Bureau of Transportation Statistics

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Room 3430

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20590

USA

phone 202-366-DATA

fax 202-366-3640

email orders@bts.gov

Internet www.bts.gov

statistics by email statistics@bts.gov

statistics by phone 800-853-1351

AMERICAN 

TRAVEL 

SURVEY