Domestic Travel Demand Surges: Advisors Reveal Their Top US Destinations

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:15 PM ET, Tue April 7, 2026

The U.S.-Israel attack on Iran has disrupted the global economy, including hampering maritime trade and impacting the oil and gas industry. Those developments, however, are merely one facet of the war's many impacts on daily life.

The conflict's ripple effects are also being felt throughout the travel industry and not just in the form of higher airline ticket prices as oil prices spike and trimmed flight schedules among major carriers (United recently announced a 5 percent flight cut).

Spring and summer vacation plans are also changing. Travel demand among Americans has increasingly shifted toward domestic destinations, as consumers feel rattled by the thought of traveling internationally amid such a fraught geopolitical landscape.

Reports from across the travel spectrum are bearing this out in real time, including data from the airline and hotel booking sites and even travel insurers.

Data from the online search engine JustFly, for instance, shows a sharp shift toward domestic travel, with searches up 161% year-over-year, far outpacing international growth at just +15%. At the same time, the domestic share jumped 19.5 percentage points, while the international share dropped 14.5 percentage points, according to JustFly.

"We started to see a meaningful shift toward domestic travel in early March, right after geopolitical tensions began disrupting international flight networks. What’s notable is how quickly traveler behavior adapted, within days, not weeks," JustFly's Director of Communications, Ayoub Hissar, told TravelPulse.

Information from the hotel booking engine HotelPlanner also reveals how the first four weeks of the war are reshaping global hotel trends: Traveler demand for international destinations perceived as unsafe has plummeted, while destinations travelers consider safe havens are benefiting.

Middle East (most impacted):  Bookings: down 63%.  Average rates: down 28%.  Cancellations: up 163%  
Africa:  Bookings: down 54%.  Average rates: down 15%.  Cancellations: down 75% 
North America:  Bookings: up 64%.  Average rates: up 5%.  Cancellations: down 30%
Europe (strongest growth):  Bookings: up 37%.  Average rates: up 42%.  Cancellations: down 71%

"Demand is shifting away from conflict-adjacent regions toward perceived 'safe' leisure markets, with Europe and select U.S. destinations seeing the biggest gains," HotelPlanner's CEO and Co-Founder Tim Hentschel told TravelPulse.

"We believe it's a combination of the war in Iran and TSA lines causing travel delays at airports," Hentschel added.

Where are travel advisors recommending people travel now?

The data provided by OTAs tells only part of the story. Travel advisors, who are on the front lines working with clients to plan upcoming vacations, have been busy rearranging reservations.

"We're absolutely seeing travel plans shifting due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East," Boston-based travel advisor Leah DiMartino, of HC Travel Firm, told TravelPulse.

"Though many destinations remain safe, clients are understandably concerned about safety and other implications of travel," continued DiMartino, who plans luxury and adventure travel worldwide. "Issues with customs and immigration, interruptions in the airspace, sentiment towards Americans, and so forth."

Instead of telling clients to wait it out, DiMartino has been advising them to shift to what she calls "high-impact" destinations in the U.S. That includes places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where visitors get everything from dramatic landscapes and wildlife experiences to luxury properties offering a nature-driven escape that rivals international destinations.

Napa Valley, California, is another one of DiMartino's top recommendations. It's a destination that offers world-class wineries and Michelin-level dining "that competes with top European wine regions," DiMartino said.

Santa Fe, New Mexico and Sedona, Arizona, are also among DiMartino's go-to domestic options right now. Both are culturally distinctive from the rest of the U.S. thanks to their unique architecture and art. They also feature cinematic red-rock landscapes and access to exceptional wellness resorts and spa experiences for restorative travel.

Envoyage advisor Annie Schlegel has also been busy helping anxious clients find alternative, domestic options for their upcoming vacations. "Obviously it's in the back of everyone's mind, what's going on in the world today," said Schlegel, an ASTA-certified advisor whose clients are moderate to luxury travelers from throughout the East Coast.

"I feel like the concerns arose slightly before the war in Iran, when airspace closed down around Venezuela, that started it all," continued Schlegel, who says her clients are nervous about getting stuck in a destination amid current world events.

In response, Schlegel has been recommending America's national parks this summer for clients who are active, outdoorsy travelers. For globetrotters who enjoy beach vacations, she's been booking destinations like Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Cruises have also been gaining popularity amid otherwise anxious travelers. "It's very easy for people to fly to Florida and get on a cruise for a week," said Schlegel.

Some travelers are even pushing back on planned trips to Europe. And as in the other cases, Schlegel has suggested replacing those getaways with equally iconic U.S. locations. "I suggest maybe not going to do Europe, but instead thinking about that Alaska bucket-list item you wanted to tick-off," Schlegel added. "It's a place where they have a little more control because they're still in the U.S."

Even a few typically under-the-radar U.S. cities have begun quietly outperforming some of the trendy hot-spots amid the shift to domestic travel.

Goedele Mangelaars, CEO of trip planning platform Pink Notebook, said she's increasingly recommending second-tier cities like Savannah, Georgia and Newport, Rhode Island—especially to women travelers.

"Savannah stands out because it's incredibly easy to experience. Its 22 connected squares make it one of the most walkable cities in the U.S., so travelers can explore without overplanning," Mangelaars told TravelPulse. "There's also a built-in social element — whether that's communal dining at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room or evening ghost tours — which makes it appealing for both solo travelers and groups."

Newport offers a different kind of appeal: A compact coastal setting where everything feels accessible and safe.

Travelers can spend a morning walking the city's legendary Cliff Walk with its resplendent ocean views on one side and historic mansions on the other. Additional highlights include exploring opulent mansions such as The Breakers or Marble House.

"Experiences like group sailing on Narragansett Bay also give people a way to connect without it feeling forced," said Mangelaars, who is also seeing growing interest in Great Lakes destinations like Door County, Wisconsin and Traverse City, Michigan.

"They offer the same kind of scenic beauty people look for in New England — water, charming towns, seasonal food — but without the same crowds or price point," Mangelaars continued.

Overall, Mangelaars, like the other advisors who spoke with TravelPulse, said travelers are gravitating toward destinations that feel "easy and grounded for spring and summer trips."

Trending domestic destinations

Beyond the locations being actively recommended by travel advisors, online booking platform data reveals additional domestic destinations that are growing in popularity for spring and summer 2026.

According to JustFly, Florida dominates as the top destination overall, with Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa taking the top four out of five slots. Las Vegas, Nevada, meanwhile, is the top searched destination overall on the JustFly platform.

Whether it's Las Vegas, Miami or Orlando, travel advisors say the current anxiety being expressed by travelers is likely to blow over with time, in much the same way concerns eventually eased after the pandemic subsided.

"I feel like travel will always have hiccups and bumps to overcome. This is just another one of those bumps that will go away. We just have to wait it out," said Schlegel.

And in the meantime, DiMartino says travel advisors will keep focusing on doing what they're best at: helping clients navigate the world today.

"It's been a lot more work. More than anything, it's fielding a lot more questions and spending much more time talking with clients, but it's our job to help our clients be prepared and know what to expect, and to pivot if needed," said DiMartino. "I'm also spending a lot more time preaching the benefits of travel insurance."

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