This State Spends More On Vacations Than Anywhere Else In The US

If asked to guess the U.S. state that spends the most on vacation on average, it might be tempting to jump first to states with lots of wealthy residents, like New York, Texas, or California.

As frequent travelers know, those above-namecd cities are actually often the least expensive to fly in and out of. Competition on multiple routes with multiple airlines often means that big, flush cities can offer rock-bottom prices on both foreign and domestic air travel.

Distance can play a role too in how much a traveler has to fork over for airfare. And with that in mind, it should come as less of a surprise that the state that spends the most on vacations is Alaska, where residents spend an average of $851 on domestic vacations and $4,778 on international travel, according to a new study by RewardExpert.

Surprisingly, Alaska’s first place finish wasn’t due entirely to its airfare budget; the state took third in the overall transportation spending category, behind Maryland and the District of Columbia, which spent $344 and $323 on transportation, respectively. This compared to Alaska’s $314 (Anyone who has ever purchased an astronomically expensive last-minute Acela train ticket from the D.C. area might have an idea of why those along the Acela corridor came in first in transportation costs).

The states with the next-highest level of expenditures on travel were New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, and (not quite a state) D.C. The states where residents spend the least amount of money on travel were Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Alabama.

The fact that all of these states are among the lowest-income states in the country, and the fact that many of the states with residents spending the most money on travel are some of the higher-income states, does indicate that high travel spending may be correlated more with ability to pay than it does cost of travel or preferences. With the average cost of an international trip at $3,583 and the median household income in Mississippi at $36,919 per year, it stands to reason that Mississippians would spend less of their money on international travel than would someone from the District of Columbia, where the median income is $75,628.

Another interesting data point to come out of the survey is the significant cost difference between international and domestic travel for Americans. The average cost of a domestic trip was $630 throughout the U.S., while the average amount Americans spent on an international trip came in at $3,583.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.