The Travel Boom Among Americans Will Continue Through Shoulder Season

It’s been fairly well documented by this point via news reports, industry studies, and even social media, that Americans are traveling in droves this summer.

And it seems that enthusiasm among Americans for getting out and exploring the world is likely to continue for months to come. A new report from the travel management app Tripit shows that fresh off the July 4th holiday rush, travel volume will continue to increase in August and shows no signs of letting up in September, either.

International flight volume in August will be 78 percent above 2022 levels for the same month, while domestic flights are expected to increase by about 75 percent, according to Tripit data. The busiest days for travel in August meanwhile, will be at the start of the month—namely, August 3 and 4. This reality holds true no matter whether you’re boarding flights, picking up a rental car, or checking into hotels and vacation rentals.

Where’s everybody headed during the waning days of summer, you ask?

Top international flight destinations include London, Rome, Athens, Paris, Milan, Cancun, Toronto, and Montego Bay. Meanwhile, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orlando all claim top spots for domestic flight destinations. 

Hotel Stays Lead in Popularity

While stays at both hotels (up 47 percent) and vacation rentals (up 34 percent) will increase this August, the lengths of those stays will vary. Those staying in the former will average 3.1 days; the latter will average 4.5 days.

San Diego and Chicago will be popular destinations for both accommodation types in August. Other top cities include Las Vegas, New York, and San Francisco (for hotels) and Nashville, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Guerneville—located in Sonoma Wine Country (for vacation rentals).

Here’s what else travelers can expect for August:

• Americans flying abroad will spend an average of 13.1 days on a trip. Those flying domestically will spend 8.2 days on a trip (on average).
• The busiest days for domestic flight departures will be August 3, 4, and 27. Top departure airports will be:
  
  Aug 3: San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Aiport, Denver International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport.
  Aug 4: San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Aiport, Denver International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
  Aug 27: Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport
• Rental car bookings will be up 47 percent compared to August 2022. The busiest days for rental car pick-up will be August 3 and 4, and the busiest locations will be Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. 
  
  

Traveler in Greece (Photo Credit: Getty/ urbazon)

Shoulder Season Solitude No More

Shoulder season has long been a time when travelers could score cheaper prices and fewer crowds. But those days are long gone. This development is a direct result of the global pandemic and the rise of remote work, which has meant that Americans are free to travel whenever they want.

Tripit’s latest data dump confirms the continuation of this reality come September 2023, when flight volumes will double. In particular, international flights will be up 100 percent from 2022, while domestic flights will follow close behind with an increase of 98 percent.

Rental car and accommodation bookings are also poised to soar during summer 2023's last hurrah. Tripit predicts reservations will be up 56 percent compared to last year, while hotel stays will increase 48 percent and vacation rental reservations will be up 35 percent.

Friday, September 1—the start to Labor Day weekend—will be the busiest day for travel across the board. The first of the month will see the highest volume of international and domestic flights, rental car pick-ups, and check-ins to hotels and vacation rentals.

As for flight destinations, New York, Las Vegas, London, and Paris are among the most popular. 

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