Consumer Confidence as a Leading Indicator of Change in U.S. Travel Volume

This analysis tracked 12 published indicators of the U.S. economy as a means of understanding monthly fluctuations in the U.S. leisure and business travel volume. A relatively simple published measure of consumer confidence frequently predicted the direction of change in U.S. travel volume over a five-year period. This finding underscores the importance of understanding the overall sense of optimism consumers have for their short-term economic future as being a force shaping the U.S. economy.