For some, vacation means a quick weekend away jam packed with activities, for others it’s a weeklong beach trip that consists of nothing but listening to the waves crash and a few rounds of golf. In Alabama, we’re lucky to have the best of both worlds…bustling cities with festivals, concerts, and sightseeing opportunities plus the sprawling inland lakes and beautiful beaches along the coast.

35% of Americans plan to take a vacation 50 or miles away in the next 12 months. Of the eight in ten who planned on traveling this summer, each will spend $941 per person. As a part of the travel and tourism industry, you already know much of what the South has to offer. But aren’t you curious about what Alabamians actually prefer when it comes to vacation planning? What are their preferred travel methods? What are their dream vacations? Their motivations for getting away? The budgets they set aside for trips?

We conducted a survey of over 2,700 travelers in Alabama to find the answers to those exact questions. Our respondents gave us insight into things like: what it would take to change their mind about their next travel destination, the types of accommodations they planned on bookings, how far in advance they start planning their trips, and where they do their research before jumping in the car (or plane…or boat).