After two years of restrictions and lockdowns, numbers are showing that people are traveling at a much higher rate than previous years. NPR calls this phenomenon “revenge travel.”
What is revenge travel? NPR describes revenge travel as “a huge increase in people wanting to make up for time and experiences lost to the pandemic.” One travel agency owner is calling it “revenge against ‘rona.”
Erika Richter, vice president of the American Society of Travel Advisors, says that revenge travel is “another way of saying, ‘Hey, life is short. I want to book that trip. I want to spend more time with family. I want to connect with humanity and nature. I want to explore the world and seek experiences that make me feel alive,’” per CNN.
Lockdowns out, vacations in: Forbes says that because of the pandemic, people are “willing to go a little further and spend a little more than they normally would on a summer holiday to ensure they have an unforgettable trip.”
- A report by Allianz says that American travel to Europe will increase by 600% from last year.
- Axios says that 85% of Americans plan to travel this summer, and that 48% plan to take two or more weeks off of work.
Where are people going? Last year, the United States and Mexico were the most popular travel destinations, according to data from AAA.
- This year, as restrictions are easing up, AAA’s data points to increased travel to Europe and the Caribbean.
- According to Allianz, the top European cities Americans are traveling to this summer are:
- London, England.
- Paris, France.
- Dublin, Ireland.
- Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Rome, Italy.
- Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Lisbon, Portugal.
- Athens, Greece.
- Barcelona, Spain.
- Amsterdam, Netherlands.