• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

A new report from the National Restaurant Association found that restaurant dining, whether on-site, delivery or takeout, is more popular than any other activity for Americans on vacation.

According to the association’s Summer Tourism and Dining Report, 98% of respondents said they planned to use restaurants during their upcoming trips, including 93% who said they were going to eat at a restaurant, with 90% getting restaurant takeout, delivery or drive thru. This bested all other vacation activities, such as shopping (85%), sightseeing (83%) and going to a beach (76%).

The survey, which was conducted in May and included over 1,000 U.S. consumers, also found that 90% of respondents “would look for convenient locations and affordability when selecting a restaurant” while on vacation, with 70% saying they’d “seek out” dining spots with some sort of daily special, discount or value promotion.

And when Americans travel, they still rely heavily on online resources to find restaurants. The report found that 80% relied on online review platforms to locate dining options, with 67% using social media and 64% using travel review platforms. Even while on vacation, 58% also rely on delivery platforms to help them find their meals.

Word of mouth is still king, though, with 87% of respondents saying they’d “consider recommendations from family or friends” when choosing an unfamiliar restaurant while on vacation. And those recs make a difference, as 88% of those surveyed said they “plan to visit a restaurant they’ve never tried before,” during their travels.

Apparently restaurants are still top of mind for those consumers attending events regardless of location. Almost 80% said they’d “likely include a restaurant-prepared item” at gatherings such as a family reunion, cookout or barbecue. Of those, 56% said they’d focus on restaurant-prepared appetizers, 57% on main dishes, 61% on side dishes, 64% on desserts or sweets and 64% on beverages.