Survey Reveals Summer Travelers Are Heading to Diverse Destinations, Road Trips, Savvy Spending, and the Joy of Extended Weeks

VacationRenter released new data showcasing the hottest travel trends of the 2023 summer season.

VacationRenter partnered with Propeller Insights in June to survey over 1,000 Americans to determine key insights about their travel plans and combined it with VacationRenter’s year-to-date booking data to offer insights into post-pandemic travel and the experiences travelers are seeking.

The Hottest Travel Spot for Summer

More than half of Americans surveyed (51%) said a beach vacation is top of their list. VacationRenter found that Ocean City, Maryland, has edged out Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as the go-to destination for summer 2023 in the U.S. Internationally, Paris has overtaken San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the most booked destination.

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 — representing 23% of all trips booked — vs. two-day trips from the same time last year — 27% of all 2022 summer trips. 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.

The Search for Value

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. Sixty percent of Americans are picking less popular destinations or different travel dates to save money, and 45% are choosing a staycation within a few hours of home.

One surprising travel destination is Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Almost 55% of Americans have heard of Pigeon Forge — with more than 60% wanting to travel there to visit the Great Smoky Mountains. Additionally, more than 30% of Americans enjoy national park vacations and almost 60% of Americans are planning a road trip this summer.

VacationRenter CEO Heath Hammett shared, "It’s exciting to see the breadth of locations and experiences that people are setting out to enjoy this summer, despite economic pressures. From Maryland to Paris, travelers are embarking on new adventures and creating lasting memories. The only consistency we see is the diversity of these preferences, which is why we’re dedicated to providing a platform that offers a wide range of options to cater to every traveler's unique tastes."

VacationRenter reached over $1 billion in gross bookings just two years after launch, making it the fastest-growing vacation rental search engine at the time. VacationRenter continues to refine its platform to offer extensive options that cater to the preferences of today's travelers. Whether a beachfront villa, boutique hotel, mountain retreat, or countryside cottage, VacationRenter has the perfect property for every getaway.

For more information, please visit VacationRenter.

Methodology

A national online survey of 1,004 U.S. employed consumers ages 25+ was conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of VacationRenter, between 6/13/23 and 6/16/23. Survey responses were nationally representative to the U.S. population for age, gender, region, and ethnicity. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.