• Summer Travel Trends 2024   

Excerpt from Seattle Times

Summer travel in 2024 will be “expensive in every way,” says Katharine Nohr. And she should know.

She’s planning a two-week adventure to Europe in June, which starts with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she’ll speak at a conference. Then she’s hopscotching across Europe — to Vienna, then on to the Olympics. She’s made plans to be in Nantes, France, to watch a soccer game, Lille for basketball and Paris for gymnastics, boxing and swimming.

All told, it’ll set her back five figures despite her best efforts, which include flying economy class and staying in the lowest-priced hotels. 

“The trip is pricey, even with my efforts to economize,” says Nohr, an attorney from Honolulu. “But it’s a once-in-my-life adventure.” 

Summer travelers are pursuing exciting, expensive vacations

Nohr is part of a wave of travelers making big plans for this summer. The itineraries are exciting — and expensive. 

Pretty much every barometer of travel intent is up for the summer travel season. Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024.

“Bookings are rising,” says Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips, a travel agency. “Unfortunately, hotel, tour and air prices are not falling. So, if you plan on hitting the road this summer, make sure you are willing to splash some cash.”

Travel companies say they’re overwhelmed with summer reservations.

What will prices be like this summer?

It depends on where you’re going. There’s good news if you’re traveling within the U.S.: Flights and hotels are a little less expensive than last summer. But they’re rising elsewhere. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Airfares are mixed. Domestic round-trip airfares for summer are averaging $325 per ticket, which is down 5% from last year, according to the travel platform Hopper. Flights to Europe are cheaper, too. They’ve fallen 12% from last year to $1,012. But flights to South America are up 4% and flights to Canada have risen 5%. You’ll pay an average of $759 to fly south of the border and $430 to head north.
  • U.S. hotel rates are down. Domestically, they’re down 7% to an average of $304 per night. Internationally, they’re up 2% to $314 per night, according to Kayak.
  • Car rental prices are rising. Average domestic car rental rates are up 10% this summer to $113 per day, according to Kayak. Last summer, rates dropped 14% after the car rental shortage ended. Internationally, rates are up 3% to an average of $88 per day.

Click here to read complete article at Seattle Times.