(NEXSTAR) — As Americans feel increasingly pinched financially, some households might decide against traveling this year to cut costs. However, for those who still wish to leave home, various bargains are available.
As the tourism industry
braces for a tough year
American visitors might get lucky by stumbling upon great bargains or discovering lesser-known attractions with fewer crowds.
“It has two aspects,” stated the Senior Editor of The Points Guy.
Becky Blaine
On one side, many destinations and hotels will provide special offers to lure travelers. Conversely, we may experience a decline in total tourism, implying spots such as your national parks could remain relatively uncrowded.
Recall the initial summer of 2020 during the pandemic,” she said. “I decided to take my family on an excursion spanning nine days across several western national parks. Our journey led us from Utah right up into Wyoming, visiting iconic places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Arches National Park. This was due to the understanding that these locations could remain less crowded than usual as international tourism had slowed significantly. However, at present, although international travel restrictions have been lifted, there isn’t sufficient interest driving demand.
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We aren’t seeing the same levels of travel disruptions as we did in 2020, yet significant doubts persist about how underwhelming tourism will be this year.
“We’re essentially facing a summer filled with uncertainty in many aspects,” stated Blaine.
Communities located close to national parks are worried that a decline in summertime travel will result in reduced tourism revenue.
Other destinations that depend significantly on global travelers are likewise preparing for consequences.
Las Vegas tourism report
Released just last month, the data indicated that both visitation numbers and hotel occupancy rates had decreased compared to the previous year.
Blaine suggested that when searching for hotel deals, consider focusing on “tier one” locations.
When we refer to ‘tier one,’ typically, when people arrive fresh in the United States, they often consider ticking off one of those major cities from their bucket list initially.
Cities such as New York, California, and Florida attract many international visitors, but they might now aim to entice more local tourists through reduced rates. Additionally, the scenic beauty of the western part of the country typically appeals greatly to Europeans—who may or may not visit this year.
“Anecdotally, I was just doing research for my own vacation for the first week of June,” Blaine recounted in mid-May. “You can still book cabins in Grand Teton National Park. You can still book camping spots in Grand Canyon National Park. That is unheard of.”
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Those looking for cheap travel need to keep their eyes peeled for sales and limited-time deals, Blaine said. She rattled off several hot sales happening in May, such as a New York to Hawaii roundtrip flight for $449 (usually over $800). For those booking with points, American Airlines had great values to Barcelona and Air France had a deal to Athens, she said.
The Points Guy
and other
travel publications
share details about such promotions frequently.
To significantly reduce your travel expenses this year, being flexible is crucial. If you’re willing to be adaptable regarding both the time and location of your trip, consider looking into ongoing travel deals and choosing an option from those listings. Additionally, you might want to investigate alternative destinations.
Google Flights
This allows you to search for affordable flights departing from your local airport to destinations worldwide.
You could utilize the exploration map to browse throughout the U.S. and think, ‘I simply want to travel somewhere. I’m open-minded. Can anyone find me affordable flights?’ Start with that approach if you don’t have a specific destination in mind.
People who do not have children enrolled in schools might want to plan their summer trips for late September or early October instead. This way, they could benefit from lower rates generally available at those times. Additionally, Blaine suggested that traveling on holidays such as Independence Day could lead to cost savings.
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