We surveyed over 1,000 Americans and analyzed our internal booking data to get insights into summer travel plans, booking trends, popular destinations, and more.
The Hottest Travel Spots for Summer 2023 by U.S. Travelers’ Bookings
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | Ocean City, Maryland | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
| Global | Paris, France | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
Top Five U.S. Destinations for Travelers This Summer
More than half of Americans surveyed (51%) said a beach vacation is top of their list. Our top bookings show the same trend.
Top Five International Destinations for U.S. Travelers This Summer
Biggest Changes in Booking Trends Year Over Year
This summer, Chincoteague in Virginia saw a 120% increase in bookings this summer with a 75% increase for bookings for Lake Michigan destinations.
The Summer of the Four-Day Work Week
Travelers are making the most of summer travel and traveling more days this summer than last. Three-day trips are the most popular this summer — 23% of all trips booked — vs. two-day trips from the same time last year — 27% of all 2022 summer trips. Extended weekend getaways inched closer to the top three of most enjoyed vacations, ranking 4th behind beach vacations, road trips, and family trips.
Monday is the New Friday
We saw a 41% increase in people booking Saturday → Monday instead of Friday → Sunday. While Friday to Sunday is still the most popular booking, that could continue to change as people live and work in new ways.
Did You Know?
Top Amenities: What Are Travelers Searching For?
Read more tips that hosts and property owners should know here.
Life’s a Journey Not a Destination
Almost 60% of Americans are planning to road trip this summer.
Beach Alternatives
- Almost 55% of Americans have heard of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee — with more than 60% wanting to travel there to visit the Great Smoky Mountains
- Dollywood is the 2nd reason cited for wanting to travel to Pigeon Forge, just behind the Great Smoky Mountains
- More than 30% of Americans reported enjoying national park vacations overall
There’s No Place Like Home
More than 45% of Americans are choosing to book staycations this summer.
Travel Planning
- Over a quarter (26%) of Americans don’t trust their spouse or partner to book travel
- 25% of Americans find planning travel makes them feel anxious or stressed, with the two major factors being missing out on a deal or overwhelmed by options
- Less than 10% of travel is booked last minute or as close to the day of as possible — more people are planning in advance (at least 2 weeks before their checkin date at least) compared to last year
- Less than 3% of Americans still work with a travel agent
- Almost 20% of people have had a fight while planning a vacation
- More than 30% of Americans got so frustrated planning a trip that they either chose to travel alone or disinvited travel partners
- Almost 60% of Americans think the vacation property should be decided upon by the group, but more than 38% agree whoever pays — not who books the trip — gets the primary bedroom
Bringing the Kids Along
- More than 75% of Americans don’t mind traveling with other people’s children
- When traveling with kids the top three things families look for in a property are proximity to family-friendly attractions (44%), streaming services for entertainment (34%), outdoor space, and kid-friendly bedrooms are also top priorities (33%)
- Parents ages 25 to 34 prioritize streaming services over proximity to family-friendly attractions when looking at a property when traveling with children
- Parents 35 and up prioritize proximity to attractions and as parents get older the importance of streaming services goes down
Deal or No Deal
- When booking travel, almost 60% of Americans want to feel like they got a deal, but not necessarily the cheapest option
- 78% of Americans say higher prices are making them rethink how they spend their summer vacation dollars, with 44% choosing to focus on finding better value in their accommodations, followed by a close tie between lower-cost destinations and cheap or free activities
- 60% of Americans are picking less popular destinations or travel dates to save money
Methodology
VacationRenter surveyed over 1,000 Americans to determine key insights about their travel plans and combined it with year-to-date booking data to offer insights into post-pandemic travel and the experiences travelers are seeking.