U.S. HISPANIC TRAVELERS SPENT $113.9 BILLION ON DOMESTIC TRAVEL ACCORDING TO Vistas Latinas: A Landmark Study on U.S. Travelers of Hispanic Descent

MMGY Global recently released the key findings from a new report, Vistas Latinas: A Landmark Study on U.S. Travelers of Hispanic Descent. This first-of-its-kind study was created by MMGY Travel Intelligence in collaboration with nonprofit Travel Unity to identify the needs, concerns and behaviors of U.S. Hispanic travelers. The Vistas Latinas study was created to provide a better understanding of the diverse and growing Hispanic population in the U.S., which according to the 2020 Census is now 62.1 million strong. This is MMGY Global’s second study of groups underrepresented in the travel industry, the first being The Black Traveler: Insights, Priorities and Opportunities. The comprehensive report, Vistas Latinas: A Landmark Study on U.S. Travelers of Hispanic Descent, whose name means Latin viewpoints, reveals the importance Hispanics place on representation in travel marketing and the power of travel to connect with family and culture. Of those surveyed for Vistas Latinas – most said they were born in the United States (83%) and a majority indicated their parents were also born in the U.S. Half of respondents indicated their family originated from Mexico, while a quarter of respondents surveyed said they were of Caribbean heritage (Puerto Rican, Dominican or Cuban). Some key findings from Vistas Latinas indicate that the vast majority (80%) of Hispanic travelers prefer to identify as Hispanic, while 25% prefer Latino/Latina and 3% prefer the term Latinx (respondents could choose more than one preferred term) and Hispanic travelers are predominantly consuming all forms of media in English. In addition, U.S. Hispanic travelers spent $113.9 billion on domestic leisure travel in 2019, accounting for 13% of all domestic leisure travel that year. Furthermore, 57% agreed they are more likely to visit a destination that embraces Hispanic cultures and celebrates Hispanic business and cultural contributions. While there is great diversity among Hispanics, Vistas Latinas has identified some commonalities that point to strong connections between family, travel and culture. The overwhelming majority of Hispanics (93%) travel with their family. Of that percentage, 59% indicated they travel with immediate family, 30% with parents and 28% with adult siblings. There is a strong desire to experience other Latino cultures and destinations, with 71% saying they would like to do so even if it is not where their family originated from. Six in 10 Hispanic travelers want to learn more about their own origin and history. The top three domestic destinations for Hispanic overnight travelers are California (21%), Texas (15%) and Florida (14%). This correlates to the three states with the highest number of Hispanic residents. Most Hispanic travelers (85%) have visited the country/territory of their family heritage, with 15% returning more than once a year and 22% returning yearly. MMGY Global and its supporting sponsors – Destination Cleveland, Discover Puerto Rico, Hilton, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, NYC & Company, Travel Oregon and Tripadvisor – will donate 100% of total profits from sales of the report to non-profit study partner Travel Unity. Travel Unity’s mission is to make the world of travel welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities. Watch Webinar Premiere at https://www.mmgyintel.com/north-american-services/vistas-latinas-landmark-study-us-travelers-hispanic-descent. For more information, visit https://www.mmgyintel.com and https://travelunity.org.