Summer Vacations Are Back

Image: A family enjoying a day at the beach. (photo via evgenyatamanenko/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

by Janeen Christoff
Last updated: 5:48 PM ET, Thu April 21, 2022

Travelers are planning to go big this summer.

Vacasa's Summer Travel Survey revealed that 63% of Americans are planning to travel this summer and 85 percent of those summer travelers say they are planning to vacation more than they did last year.

There are still some barriers to travel. One in four Americans is pressing pause on travel until travel and/or gas prices are lower. Twenty percent of Americans are still not traveling because of COVID-19 safety issues.

However, most Americans are seeking out a change of scenery after two years of staying close to home.

Vacasa's Summer Travel Survey found that waterfront destinations were the top pick for summer travelers, followed by national parks and Vacasa's trending destinations-including Kauai, Hawaii, and Whistler, British Columbia-mirrored that balance of beach-side and recreation-rich retreats.

Summer travelers who are working from home are among the most likely to travel in the coming months. Those who work fully remote or in a hybrid format are both more likely to take a vacation this summer (75 percent) and more likely to travel more often than last year (91 percent).

Most Americans are planning trips within the United States but more people are traveling abroad this summer than in previous summers during COVID-19. Three in four travelers are planning a trip in the U.S. and 26 percent are planning to go abroad.

A majority of travelers are planning long weekends but most are going longer with 38 percent traveling for five to seven days during the summer and 20 percent traveling for longer than a week.

Millennials are the generation most likely to go on shorter getaways, whether they are quick, two-night escapes (39 percent) or long weekend trips (64 percent).

Holidays remain the most popular times to travel with the Fourth of July the most popular, followed by Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Kids are guaranteed lots of fun as the survey revealed that parents are splurging on all kinds of things this summer. Moms and dads are spending big on food and drinks (77 percent), entertainment and activities (56 percent), and accommodations (42 percent) more so than non-parents (73 percent, 48 percent, and 30 percent, respectively).

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