Between traveling to soccer matches and planning for travel
to celebration the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration, it
appears more travelers are hitting the road rather
than flying in for matches as Hertz data has revealed a surge in car
rentals.
Travelers are building flexible itineraries, renting cars
between FIFA
matches and exploring more of the U.S. along the way. This shift in travel
behavior shows an increase in one-way rentals, double-digit growth in secondary
markets and rising demands along iconic U.S. routes.
Key Hertz booking data trends include:
Iconic routes are becoming fan travel corridors:
One-way rentals between major metros are surging, including New York–Boston and
Los Angeles–San Francisco, alongside high-traffic corridors like Los
Angeles–Las Vegas and Orlando–Tampa–Miami. Travelers are opting to drive
between cities rather than stay in one place.
International demand is shaping travel patterns in real
time: Visitors from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and China
are among the top inbound travelers, highlighting the global footprint of fans
currently exploring the U.S.
Double-digit growth expanding beyond traditional gateway
cities: Year-over-year July reservations are rising in several markets,
including Kansas City (+25%), Philadelphia (+17%), Houston (+12%), Seattle
(+10%) and Boston (+8%), reflecting broader interest across a wider range of
destinations.
Affordability is accelerating the shift to cars: With
one-way rentals averaging roughly $60-70 per day for a midsize vehicle,
travelers are increasingly choosing cars as a cost-effective option, especially
compared to purchasing multiple plane, train or bus tickets. One vehicle can
accommodate an entire group, offering both savings and flexibility.
Additionally, Route 66 is seeing heightened demand during the
centenary year, and historic New England travel is climbing.
“We’re seeing this play out across our Hertz network in real
time. Fans aren’t just attending matches, they’re renting cars to see more of
the country and turning their trips into flexible, multi-stop journeys that go
far beyond a single city,” said Adnan Manzur, Senior Vice President of North
America Customer Operations at Hertz in a statement. “It’s creating a moment
where both international visitors and Americans are rediscovering what makes
traveling here so unique.”
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