With summer vacation plans heating up, vacation rental management platform Vacasa collaborated with Allison+Partners to find out what Americans have planned for the peak travel season ahead. The survey revealed that 63% of Americans plan to get away this summer, which is a slight jump from the 59% who planned to do so in 2021, and that 85% of summer travelers report plans to vacation more frequently this summer compared to last.
Though there are still factors keeping people homebound or undecided about summer vacations, including rising travel and gas prices, COVID-19 is having less of an impact on travel plans. At this point in the pandemic, more so than any other reason, people say they’re in need of a change in scenery or company this summer and are ready to splurge on vacation (especially parents). Where are they heading? Naturally, waterfront destinations are the top pick for summer travelers, followed by national parks, and Vacasa’s trending destinations—including Kauai, HI (pictured above), and Whistler, British Columbia—mirror that balance of beach-side and recreation-rich retreats. ‘Tis the sea-sun, right?
Here’s a first look at Vacasa’s 2022 Summer Travel Trends:
- 63% of Americans plan to get away for a summer vacation—a slight jump from the 59% who planned to do so in 2021—while one in five Americans remain undecided on seasonal travel plans (20%).
- And the likelihood of travel only increases for people who can pack up the laptop and go: Those who work fully remote or in a hybrid format are both more likely to take a vacation this summer (75%) and more likely to travel more often than last year (91%).
- Approximately three in four travelers (74%) are planning to keep their summer trips within the U.S., while 26% of travelers are planning international trips this year. When it comes to what international locales are attracting tourists, it’s almost evenly split between Canada and/or Mexico and countries further abroad.
- Fourth of July is the most popular summer holiday weekend for travel this year with nearly half of U.S. travelers (46%) planning to go somewhere, followed by Memorial Day (31%) and Labor Day (25%).
- Parents are splurging on food and drinks (77%), entertainment and activities (56%) and accommodations (42%) more so than non-parents (73%, 48% and 30%, respectively) during summer vacations.
- 32% of travelers plan to stay in a vacation rental this summer—a slight bump up from the spring survey—because they feel it’s the best value for their money (58%), gives them access to private home amenities (54%) and provides more privacy (47%).
- Of those not planning to travel this summer, one in four are waiting until travel and/or gas prices are lower, while 20% of Americans aren’t traveling because they still don’t feel safe due to COVID-19. That’s a sizable drop since a similar question was asked in spring 2022, when 35% didn’t feel safe traveling, and an even more so since summer 2021, when 42% cited pandemic safety concerns.