by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Tue February 28, 2023
The travel industry expects Spring Break tourism numbers that could rival pre-pandemic totals, but the cost of hitting the road will likely be much more expensive this year.
According to data from Squaremouth.com, Spring Break travel is getting more expensive, with the average insured trip cost for the travel period increasing by 3.4 percent from $5,420.81 in 2022 to $5,606.05 in 2023.
"With travelers putting off making plans, travel advisors are dealing with limited inventory and fewer flight options than we have seen in the past," Michelle Shrader, owner of Adventures Tours & Travel, an InteleTravel affiliate, said.
"Additionally, the increased costs for airfare have caused some potential spring break travelers to either increase their budget or delay their vacation until summer," Shrader continued.
The average amount spring break travelers are spending on insurance also increased by 6.9 percent from $353.69 last year to $378.05. The most expensive Spring Break destinations are Antarctica ($12,216.27), Tanzania ($11,600.83), Ecuador ($10,914.51), Peru ($9,682.17) and South Africa ($8,879.17).
As for family travel, data shows Turks and Caicos, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands are the most popular destinations this Spring Break. The average cost for these destinations increased 29 percent since last year, from $5,460.50 to $7,038.74.
"On a positive note, cruise pricing has been great this year. Promotions for drink packages, free Wi-Fi and excursion credits all add value and have made cruising a popular alternative for me to offer those clients who are looking to enjoy a sunny spring break getaway," Shrader said.
The study also found the destinations seeing the most increase in bookings, including New Zealand (up 2,556 percent), Vietnam (1,875 percent), Japan (537 percent), Indonesia (368 percent) and Antarctica (258 percent).
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