A new survey from The Vacationer shows 137 Million American adults (53%) plan to travel for Labor Day this year. Despite the increase in travel from the Fourth of July, 75% (194 million adults) say Covid-19 and the Delta variant is either a big concern or a slight concern when considering Labor Day plans.


The Vacationer polled 571 American adults over the age of 18 on August 1, 2021. Results were analyzed by The Vacationer's Eric Jones, who is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Rowan College South Jersey.

Key Stats:

Most to Travel Primarily by Car

Of the more than 53% who say they will travel on Labor Day, 36.95% plan to do it primarily by car. Another 12.08% will travel primarily by plane, while the remaining 4.03% will primarily use public transportation.

Most Have Delta Variant Concerns for Labor Day Plans and Travel

Three out of every four American adults say the Delta variant is either a slight concern (47.29%) or a big concern (28.02%) when considering Labor Day plans. Additionally, almost 50% of American adults say contracting Covid-19 or a friend or family member contracting Covid-19 is a concern when considering Labor Day travel. Despite the concerns, 53% will still travel, and many others will gather in groups without traveling.

More Than Half to Attend a BBQ or Cookout

Survey participants were asked what activities they plan to take part in on Labor Day.

• Parade — 12.43%
• BBQ or Cookout — 54.64%
• Fireworks — 23.29%
• Beach — 26.09%
• Lake — 18.04%
• Sporting Event — 6.65%
• Movie Theater — 10.33%
• None of These — 23.47%

More than 76% will take part in at least one of those activities on Labor Day, with some participants doing more than one. More than 50% will attend a BBQ or a cookout, while nearly 25% will watch fireworks.

Nearly 25% Will Spend $500 or More on Labor Day Travel

About 1 in 4 American adults say they will spend $500 or more on Labor Day travel, which includes flights, hotels, and tickets. More than 11% will spend $1,000 or more, while more than 5% will spend $1,500 or more.

Holiday Travel Continues to Rebound

Another recent survey by The Vacationer showed how much travel has rebounded since the start of the pandemic. Participants were asked if they traveled on the following holidays.

• Fourth of July 2021 - 51.41%
• Memorial Day 2021 — 27.17%
• Easter 2021 — 15.09%
• Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa 2020 — 23.40%
• Thanksgiving 2020 — 22.26%
• Fourth of July 2020 — 14.72%

The more than 53% who plan to travel for Labor Day this year is over 10% more than the number of people that traveled for Easter and Memorial Day combined.