This summer, most Americans seem to prioritizing budget-friendly destinations, owing to the ongoing economic conditions, a recent survey has found. According to a latest Summer Travel Trends report by Vacasa and Allison, the marketing and communications consultancy, travelers will be taking several trips (five on average throughout summer) and most will be staying stateside (89%).
Some 81% of Americans planning to travel during summer said they will be more budget-conscious this year. Among the traditional budget-friendly summer destinations, destinations like Panama City Beach, Fla., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Hilton Head, S.C. offer warm-weather experiences for travelers, with average daily rates hovering below $250 per night, Vacasa said.
Almost half of the participants (49%) said they will be taking a summer vacation this year, with 56% planning to travel more often than they did last summer.
Summer travel is expected to be big this year, with 72% of the travers planning to travel during the holiday weekends. Fourth of July (43%) continues to be a top summer holiday.
Gen Z and Millennials are major contributors this year, with 58% going on trips this summer compared to 41% of Gen X and older generations.
Road trips are also enjoying their popularity this year, with over three-quarters (77%) stating that they will be traveling by car, RV, or camper van to their destination. Road trips especially found favor among Gen X and older generations (82%). Some 41% said they will be traveling by flight.
In true summer fashion, a large section of the participants (63%) said they are planning to visit lake, while 50% said they will be headed towards a beach destination this summer.
Creating memories and enjoyable experiences emerged as a priority, as more than one-third of summer travelers want to add to their vacation memories from previous years by traveling to repeat destinations (34%). Parents of older children (age 18 or older), were especially likely to do so (40%), the survey revealed.
Vacation rentals emerged as a favorite accommodation option, with 42% of Americans opting to book a stay in a vacation rental over other accommodation types (increasing from 38% in 2023 and 32% in 2022). Among those who prefer to book vacation rentals, 66% said vacation rentals offer the best value for money, provide access to private amenities (57%) and better locations than other accommodations (43%).