• by Tanya Gazdik , March 10, 2022

A majority of U.S. adults (85%) are expecting to travel this summer and driving in personal vehicles is the leading choice for getting to summer vacation destinations.

Nearly half (48%) of Americans who plan to vacation this summer will take two weeks or more, up from (41%) last summer per research from national trade association Out of Home Advertising Association of America, which partnered with The Harris Poll.

At the same time, 80% of workers expect to be commuting in spring of 2022, a number rising to 84% by summer 2022, and by that time most (64%) anticipate going to the office five days a week.

The study looks at summer travel, commuting and comfort with different modes of transportation -- including a deep dive into the automotive sector and OOH advertising.

In anticipation of hitting the road — whether for summer travel or commuting -- half of key demos (Gen Z, millennials, men and big city urbanites) recall seeing recent OOH ads for auto brands or dealerships.

Over two in five (43%) who recall these OOH messages say that the experience prompted them to actively engage with the ad, whether visiting the brand/dealer’s website (38%), researching the advertised brand/dealer (38%), sharing information with friends or family (30%), visiting the brand/dealer’s showroom (23%), and more.

Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable traveling by all modes of transportation, especially city dwellers and millennials, according to the study. 

Sixty-nine percent of the public feels safe flying given the pandemic -- up from 59% last April -- while 67% feel the same about trains. In addition, nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults feel comfortable using ride shares and taxis (62% and 61%), both up significantly from April 2021.

The Harris Poll conducted the online survey from Feb. 9-14 with a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. Adults 18+. Data is weighted to reflect the U.S. general public across age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, income, household size, and employment.