U.S. Travelers Seek to Stay in Shape on the Road, Reveals TripAdvisor Survey

Many Americans Maintain Healthy Habits While Traveling - Although Vacation Excesses Lead One in Three to Diet, Post-Trip

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TripAdvisor

Jul 18, 2012, 06:00 ET

NEWTON, Mass., July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its health and fitness on vacation survey of more than 1,400 U.S. travelers, revealing that healthy eating and exercise play an integral role in many Americans' vacations. Sixty-nine percent say healthy eating is important to them when traveling for leisure, while 53 percent always or often exercise when they're on the road.

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Travelers' Top Physical Activities on Vacation
1. Walking - 87%
2. Swimming - 46%
3. Hiking - 35%
4. Using cardio machines - 23%
5. Biking - 16%

Travelers' Favored Spots for Vacation Work-Outs
1. Hotel gym - 52%
2. Pool - 42%
3. Beach - 38%
4. Hotel room - 27%
5. Flight - 9%

Training While Traveling

Among those that exercise on vacation, 31 percent say their primary motivation is to maintain their fitness regimen. A further 28 percent do so in order to avoid gaining weight, while the third most popular reason for exercising on holiday is to capitalize on having more free time to work out (14 percent).
33 percent of all respondents always or often take fitness paraphernalia, such as workout clothes, with them on vacation. However, among those that tote fitness gear on their travels, 27 percent never make use of it, while a further 26 percent rarely do so.
13 percent of survey respondents have taken a vacation dedicated to improving their health, with the same number planning to do so in the coming 12 months.

Healthy Road Habits

66 percent of all respondents say they often eat healthily on vacation, while a further nine percent always do so when traveling for leisure.
58 percent start their trip as they mean to go on, by packing healthy foods for the journey to their destination.
In the interests of a balanced lifestyle, 62 percent choose to order healthy menu items while vacationing, and 37 percent store wholesome foods in the hotel fridge.

Temptations on Tour

36 percent have dieted in preparation for a vacation, while 33 percent have started a diet after a vacation – and 29 percent say they always or often gain weight during a trip.
Travelers confess that delicious cuisine and cocktails can be hard to resist: 65 percent are more likely to overindulge on food on vacation than while at home, while 49 percent are more likely to overindulge on alcohol.
In spite of calorie-laden temptations on the road, 81 percent rarely or never feel guilty about their vacation excesses, post-trip.

Savvy Sun Practices

87 percent of all respondents say sun safety is important to them on vacation, and while 60 percent indicate they always use sunscreen when traveling in warm climates, a further 28 percent often do so.
While one in five travelers say they always sunbathe on vacation in warm climates, 30 percent rarely do so, and 24 percent avoid catching rays altogether.
The "lobster-look" gets a resounding thumbs-down, with 85 percent rarely or never claiming to get sunburned in warm climates.

"While most Americans will spend at least some of their vacation relaxing, many now balance their fun with fitness, as TripAdvisor's survey shows that a significant number of travelers also prioritize personal health on their trips," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site,* enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 56 million unique monthly visitors,* and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors.** TripAdvisor's travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.