VACATION POLL Americans plan to spend more on trips

More people are taking shorter vacations.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Eight out of 10 Americans plan to spend as much or more on vacations this year as they did last year, according to a new survey from Roper Reports.
And 58 percent plan to take a leisure trip in the next six months. While that's only 1 point higher than the percentage who made leisure trips last year, the telephone survey of 1,000 Americans found differences in this year's destinations and motivations.
Those planning a trip more than 500 miles from home, but still within the continental United States, make up 44 percent of the total, 3 points less than last year.
Those traveling less than 500 miles from home within the United States comprise 36 percent of vacationers, down a point from 2003.
Six percent of those planning a trip are going to Europe, 3 points more than from last year. Eleven percent have destinations in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean in mind, 2 points higher than last year.
While spending time with family and relaxing remain the top two goals for vacationers, the percentage of those who want to use their time off to help others has increased from 62 percent to 69 percent, while those who want to learn new things on vacation has zoomed up from 51 percent last year to 64 percent now.
Most likely to travel
Americans with high incomes, college educations and those under the age of 24 were more likely to travel than other demographic groups.
Most travelers say long vacations are a thing of the past, primarily due to work commitments.
Only 17 percent of those surveyed plan a vacation more than two weeks long; two-thirds will take off a week or less.
Of vacations taken in the past year, the most popular activity by far -- cited by 53 percent of those polled -- was spending time by the water, whether lake, shore or beach. Nineteen percent visited a historic site; 18 percent went to a casino; 14 percent went to a theme park; 12 percent went to a resort; and 4 percent took a cruise.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.