American Travel Sentiment, Case Studies
American Travel Sentiment Study – Wave 87
Politics a Factor in Selecting Destinations

According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, 37% of them report that the political reputation of potential destinations is a factor in their travel selections. And 14% of travelers say they avoid some destinations because of their political reputations.
“In a divided country and during a presidential election year, it is not surprising that the perceived political environment of destinations would impact travel decision-making for some travelers,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “It is for this reason we believe it is important for destinations to understand how potential visitors view them and their brand, not just politically, but for a wide range of attributes important to visitors.”
Thirty-two percent of travelers say that a destination’s reputation for being welcoming and inclusive to diverse groups impacts their decision to travel to specific destinations. And 18% of travelers have changed or canceled their plans to visit some destinations due to concerns about the welcomeness or inclusiveness of those destinations.
The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded July 10, 2024 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.
Longwoods International is a leading travel and tourism research consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and Toronto Canada, and offices in Florida, North Carolina, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. It conducts Longwoods Travel USA®, the largest ongoing survey of American travelers, as well as image, advertising effectiveness, advertising return on investment, sentiment, and other custom research in 12 countries around the globe.


American Travel Sentiment Study – Wave 87
Politics a Factor in Selecting Destinations