Travelers stay closer to home as costs rise
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Move over, Euro Summer — Americans are staying closer to home this year.
Why it matters: Higher airfare and broader economic concerns have pushed many travelers to rethink long-haul trips.
Zoom in: Travel adviser Erica Christie says clients are shifting toward affordable weekend trips in the Carolinas, New England and California.
- Bookings to Asheville, North Carolina, jumped 174% in the past year, according to Fora, the global travel agency where Christie works.
- South Carolina bookings rose 157%.
Travelers still heading to Europe are swapping popular (and pricey) hot spots like the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como for lesser-known alternatives — including the Italian Riviera near the French border, the Tuscan coast, Montenegro and Malta, Christie tells Axios.
- International jet-setters are also booking "much more last-minute" than usual, and increasingly asking about travel insurance in case plans go awry.
Booking site Expedia reports travelers are choosing Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico over New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Honolulu.
- London, Paris and Rome are giving way to Dublin and Brussels.
The big picture: The Iran war has sent oil prices soaring, causing airlines to cut flights and raise fares, and drivers to pay more at the pump.
- Flight and hotel bookings have already dipped, Virginia Tech professor Mahmood Khan previously told Axios. "People are very hesitant to make long-term bookings."
- Meanwhile, budget travelers are mourning the loss of Spirit Airlines.
By the numbers: Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans say they plan to take a summer vacation this year, up from 66% from last year, per a new survey from transportation company Enterprise Mobility.
- Even so, most travelers (69%) say they're opting for weekend getaways, with about half citing affordability as the reason.
- 89% say they plan to stay domestic for their next trip.
The bottom line: Travelers aren't giving up on summer — they're getting more strategic.
