Travel Channel Survey Reveals America's Summer Travel Plans

Hello, summer weekend getaway, goodbye long summer trips.

A new survey from the Travel Channel reveals that 55 percent of Americans now prefer several summer weekend getaways as opposed to one long summer vacation. In addition, 53 percent of survey participants said they’re planning to take weekend trips each month this summer.

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“I think this is really interesting and smart. Travelers are not saying, ‘We’re not taking a summer vacation.’ They’re saying ‘We are taking summer vacation differently,’” Jillian St. Charles, senior vice president of Digital Programming & Video for Home and Travel at Discovery Digital Studios, told TravelPulse during a recent interview.

“If you think about summer travel, you tend to think about families. I think anyone who travels has seen families who are clearly on a big trip and that trip is turning out to be more stressful and expensive than they wanted it to be.”

In other words, perhaps this notable shift in summer vacation patterns is an attempt to cut down on both the stress factor and the impact on family finances, says St. Charles.

“I think the cultural expectations around a big summer vacation are so heavy and can it be so difficult to meet those expectations,” St. Charles added. “I really love when people find a new way, that will work for their family, to keep it more low-key and not have all of the emotional weight of a big summer vacation.”

Whatever the case may be, the growing popularity of summer weekend escapes is just one of the notable findings from the Travel Channel’s first-ever Summer Travel Forecast.

The survey, conducted in February, also reveals that Americans will likely spend about $255 billion on summer vacations.

Additional key takeaways include:

—The vast majority of Americans want to hit the road this summer, with 81 percent of people saying they would love to take a road trip, increasing to 87 percent among those who have kids.

—Home rentals are on the rise. About 77 percent of travelers are interested in staying in a rental house during a vacation; 80 percent of those respondents have kids. Special note here, Travel Channel experts suggest booking home rentals, especially in popular destinations a minimum of two months in advance to avoid having to stay in accommodations that don’t meet your needs.

—Travelers look to family and friends for recommendations. The majority of Americans, 58 percent, find new places to vacation based on such recommendations. However, others rely on travel review websites (48 percent) or look to social media influencers and personalities (35 percent) when finding a destination.

—Relaxation is still at the top of travelers’ lists, with 63 percent of respondents noting they’d rather visit the beach than the mountains, and 55 percent saying they’d rather visit the countryside than a city.

“I also thought it was interesting that beach didn’t come in higher than it did,” said St. Charles. “Because going to the beach is such an emblem of summer vacation.”

Expense continues to be a major factor in decision making, with over half of those polled who have kids stating that major cities are too expensive

For those looking to combat the crowds Travel Channel experts suggest visiting lesser-known destinations that are easily accessible but still have a lot of activities to offer all travelers.

Among the top suggestions are smaller cities like Richmond, Virginia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Albuquerque, all of which are excellent hubs for arts, food, and culture, St. Charles said.

Chattanooga is one of St. Charles’ personal favorites.

“It's one of the most beautiful, unsung outdoor destinations in this area. And it’s also a wonderful city for little kids,” she said.

Top highlights in the city, which is located along the Tennessee River at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, include its trolleylike Incline Railway, which scales Lookout Mountain and takes passengers to Ruby Falls waterfall.

The Tennessee Aquarium is also one of the best in the region, according to St. Charles.

“It must be one of the top two or three in the southeast,” she said.

On the hunt for a beach escape? The Travel Channel suggests communities like Surfside, Florida and Long Beach, California, both of which can offer a welcome contrast to their bigger, busier neighbors.

Finally, affordable adventures in national parks like Channel Islands, Congaree, Isle Royale, and North Cascades don’t suffer as much as amusement parks from huge summer crowds, according to the Travel Channel experts.