Travelers booking lodging in the United States reached a new high in the 12 months ending July 2024, up slightly from the previous year.

It seems many travelers start planning with a specific place in mind (almost six in 10), but one-third need to narrow down their choice from a few options. 

How? Well, according to research from Phocuswright’s U.S. Consumer Travel 2024: Lodging, lodging does influence where travelers want to go, with 22% of travelers indicating that the price of lodging influences their destination selection.

Of course, social platforms are used to help make lodging choices, but usage for travel varies greatly by age. Half of travelers used social for accommodations, and a consumer that travels more tends to leverage more social platforms as they research and plan their trips. (Instagram and TikTok are the platforms of choice for people who take six or more trips a year).

When it comes to booking, online travel agencies reign as the leading choice for booking channel. Booking direct has even declined slightly in the 12 months studied. Travelers under 55 years old prefer OTAs, with older travelers preferring to book directly online. The driver behind direct bookings? Loyalty programs. 

Regardless of booking choice, travelers agree on one thing: Booking needs to be easy.