Episode 7 | 2021 Travel Trends

Welcome back for this travel episode! Summer is right around the corner and the streets are calling. So, it is time to answer and start traveling again.

As I myself start gearing up for some summer travel, I was looking into the latest travel trends and found two recent travel trends reports from American Express and TripAdvisor. Sharing some of the main highlights I found most helpful and a few more travel tips for you to keep in mind as you plan out your summer travel.

Show Notes:
[01:40] The two reports I read were the American Express Global Travel Trends Report and the Tripadvisor Trend Report.
[02:19] Domestic travel is still going to be top. Traveling by train is actually trending now. Road trips and short domestic flights are up. Staying local to the U.S. because we are more aware of restrictions due to COVID.
[03:02] There is this desire to explore the U.S. more and a newfound appreciation for what is right in front of us.
[03:52] People are finding more ways to explore locally.
[04:00] A lot of the top destinations for the upcoming year are Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, Destin, Myrtle Beach, and all of the Florida Spring Break Hotspots like Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, and Key West.
[04:27] Favorite destinations in the Northeast include Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.
[04:43] At this time we are still not able to travel to Canada. It is unknown when they will be lifting their travel restrictions. However, Mexico travel has increased.
[05:03] Expedia analyzed and found Mexico to be the top destination that people have booked for travel from June through August.
[05:57] The second big trend is that flight prices are back to normal. Travel demand is back up so flight prices are back up.
[06:44] Start shopping now for flight tickets and you need to be a little more flexible. Part of that flexibility may be leaving on a Tuesday or Wednesday. You can also wait until late summer or early fall to book your flight. Late August through late October is a low demand time so you may be able to find cheaper prices on more desirable destinations.
[08:29] A big trend is that people are willing to splurge this year.
[09:13] The American Express Global Trends Report stated that 61% were planning on spending more on a trip than they normally would to make up for the time they missed in 2020.
[09:26] The Tripadvisor report showed that most of the hotel clicks were already shifting to international destinations for May through the summer.
[09:56] Europe recently announced that they are relaxing their restrictions and fully vaccinated people will be able to travel to the European Union this summer. Paris is a big bucket list destination for a lot of people and the number one destination.
[12:18] Another trend is the digital nomad life. It is the ability to work from anywhere now that we are all remote.
[13:13] With that ability to work from home a little longer people are moving around their locations. 54% of people surveyed said that living and working while traveling the globe is a much more appealing option than it was prior to the pandemic.
[14:01] People are using this time to travel and discover different parts even if it is domestically that they didn’t before.
[14:56] People are packing up their stuff and making the most of the ability to work from anywhere. Hotels are offering extended stays and better deals if you stay longer. Airbnb travel is up.
[15:35] Another trend is taking trips where everything is centered around food. 62% listed that eating from the major focus of their next trip. Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, and Houston are great destinations for foodie trips.
[17:05] Internationally people are traveling to areas like Singapore, Mexico City, and Tokyo for these culinary experiences.
[18:08] Toya’s favorite foodie destination is New Orleans.
[19:07] Are you planning a splurge vacation? Are you planning to travel internationally or stay local?

Links Mentioned on the Show From Toya:
Travel, Pray, Slay Podcast
Travel, Pray, Slay on Facebook
Travel, Pray, Slay on Instagram
Travel, Pray, Slay on Spotify
Toya on Twitter
Travel, Pray, Slay Merch
American Express Travel Global Travel Trends Report
5 Traveler Trends to Watch Out for in 2021