Beachy U.S. Getaways
“In general, we expect the bulk of the demand from the U.S. to stay where it has been with an emphasis on domestic destinations,” said Willis Orlando, senior product operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights. “Cities like Miami, Las Vegas and Honolulu have seen enormous visitor numbers over the last few months, and we expect that to continue.”
In addition to exploring those warm-weather cities, travelers are also continuing to show interest in outdoor relaxation on the beach.
“In 2021, leisure travel to domestic locations, including Florida and Hawaii, were popular, and I would expect these trends to continue in 2022,” said Laurie Garrow, a professor of civil engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and president of the airline research organization AGIFORS. “Traveling domestically is currently easier than traveling internationally, as you need to provide much more documentation to travel internationally and may be subject to quarantine before returning to the U.S if you test positive for COVID.”
Indeed, Tripadvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice Awards recently revealed that the Island of Hawaii is the No. 1 trending domestic destination for 2022. Beachy Florida destinations, such as Naples, Clearwater and Fort Myers Beach, also made the top 10.
Ravi Roth, a queer travel expert and host of “The Gaycation Travel Show,” pointed to the increasing popularity of ecotourism among millennial and Gen Z travelers.
“Folks have been eying less-traveled-to islands in Hawaii, like Kauai and the Big Island, for some time,” he said. “Now that Hawaii is open, the locals want it known that giving back, respect and sustainability of the sacred land are a must. Tourists visiting Hawaii will find green hotels, more emphasis on eating and shopping locally, supporting small businesses, and keeping the ecosystems and coral reef healthy and alive by using sunscreen that does not contain oxybenzone.”
