Nov 12 (Reuters) - The holiday rush may lose some of its

momentum this year - even among high-income travelers - as a

report from Deloitte on Wednesday shows Americans are planning

to take fewer trips and spend less on them amid growing

financial concerns.

The average number of planned holiday trips has dropped to

1.83, down from 2.14 last year, while average planned travel

budgets are down 18% to $2,334, the report said.

Underlying the tighter travel budgets is a more muted money

mood, the report said.

Notably, nearly one in five households earning over $100,000

annually, or high-income Americans, said they were worse off

financially than a year ago, and about 80% of that group plans

to choose cheaper travel options.

Over the past two months, travel companies, including Delta

Air Lines ( DAL ), United Airlines and hotel operator

Marriott International ( MAR ), have pointed to solid demand for

high-end offerings such as premium seats and luxury hotels.

But that trend may be shifting, and the effect on airlines,

lodgings and tour operators may be disproportionate, as

high-income travelers typically spend more and travel farther.

Holiday travel is also at risk from the prolonged U.S.

government shutdown, which has forced carriers to cut flights

and already delayed about 3.2 million passengers, according to

estimates by airlines.

The report also found that millennials, who made up the

biggest share of luxury travelers at 34% and have planned the

sharpest cutback in the number of trips this year, led the way

in generative AI adoption for travel planning, up 1.5 times

since 2024.

While travelers most commonly used generative AI to find

activities and attractions, they're most likely to follow

through on restaurant recommendations, the report said.