Americans are planning big for their upcoming summer travel, with the latest study showing significant demand for international travel.
Searches for flights are up 25% overall for June through August compared to the same time last year, with interest up triple digits for international destinations in Europe and Asia, according to Expedia’s summer travel forecast.
Additionally, average ticket prices fell $125 from their peak in early July to August.
DESTINATION TRENDS
The top five domestic destinations were:
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Seattle
- Orlando
- Las Vegas
The top five international destinations were:
- Cancun
- London
- Rome
- Punta Cana
- Paris
The top five trending destinations were
- Auckland
- Hong Kong
- Osaka
- Da Nang
- Hanoi
(Based on Expedia flight demand as of April 1st for travel from June to August)
While U.S. travelers are returning to popular destinations like New York and Cancun, the biggest YOY increases were for longer-haul destinations, which included Auckland, Hong Kong and Osaka.
These destinations posted strong demand trends despite higher average flight ticket prices than last summer.
Since reopening its borders to international tourists last fall, Japan continues to witness strong interest and is one of the fastest-growing international destinations year-to-date for U.S. travelers. Flight searches for summer were up triple digits compared to the corresponding period last year for Osaka (+592%), Tokyo (+290%) and Kyoto (+265%).
HOW TO SAVE
According to Expedia, the best period to save 8% on summer trips is 21 to 60 days out.
The least busy day is Thursday, August 24th, while the busiest day is Saturday, July 1st. The study identified Sunday, August 27th, as the cheapest day, while Saturday, July 1st, was the most expensive.
To save on airfare, the study suggested traveling during late August and avoiding holiday weekends. Ticket prices dropped an average of $125 compared to the peak in early July.
Meanwhile, the Fourth of July weekend is the busiest and most expensive weekend this summer for air travel. ATPs for the holiday weekend were 12% higher than average for the month.