Summer Travel Plans Look a Lot Different This Year, According to One Report

Summer travel often comes with unpleasant scenarios — namely higher prices, bigger crowds, and a higher chance of inclement weather delays — and this summer has been no exception, thanks to ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic causing employee shortages, as well as a surge in demand after two years of travel restrictions.

A new report released by Forbes Advisor shows just how much summer travel has been impacted this year, proving that the “new normal” isn’t at all a return to pre-pandemic life. According to a Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 Americans with summer vacation plans this year, more than half (54 percent) of summer vacationers say the cost of trips is affecting their travel plans. Half (50 percent) of those surveyed report that concerns about COVID and their finances were taken into account when planning vacations, which makes sense given the back-to-back infection waves, fueled by Omicron subvariants BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 throwing a wrench in many people’s plans.

41 percent of respondents noted concerns about safety in other countries, as well as the ability to take time off work, while more than 30 percent shared concerns about their children’s schedules and an inability to agree to a destination.

The average vacation budget was slashed by $1,636, leaving plenty of vacationers opting for a less expensive destination (45 percent), taking fewer trips (37 percent), and traveling shorter distances (35 percent). Just 12 percent of vacationers would call their summer trips “expensive,” while 41 percent say their vacation price tag is “middle-of-the-road” and 30 percent classify their trip as “cheap/budget.”

Though 42 percent did say they plan to spend more on their summer travel plans this year compared to last, with flights alone being 47 percent higher than they were in 2021, getting the most for your money will be no easy feat during this busy vacation season.

Not every finding from the Forbes Advisor survey was a drag, however. Analyzing recent data from Squaremouth and Google Trends, the pros found that the most popular destination on American itineraries is Germany, with Indonesia and the Great Lakes also serving as popular search results this year. Other sought-after destinations include the U.K., Mexico, and Italy, proving that dream vacation locales are as diverse as ever this year, despite the many obstacles you might face to get to each one.

Check out the full report here.