TAMPA, Fla. — “Summer is here and people are definitely looking to travel,” said Google Technology Expert, Sarah Armstrong.
Experts predict this year will be a busy year for summer vacations. The travel industry has recovered from pandemic setbacks.
“People are ready to travel and they are getting out there. More than 50% of people are actually traveling for summer vacation time period,” said Lori Judd, certified travel agent for Prestige Travel Vacations.
Cruises remain very popular for Floridians, although many ships are already booked.
“The most popular mode of vacationing right now is actually cruising. The reason for that is because here in Florida we are so blessed that we can drive to so many cruise ports,” said Judd.
The Caribbean is a top location for people looking to get away.
“This is actually a great time to go to the Caribbean because it’s their off-season, believe it or not,” said Judd.
For those wanting to escape the heat, cool weather destinations are popular this year.
What’s trending the most again for this summer? International travel, especially to Europe.
“London is at the top of the list, Paris. Tokyo made the list for the first time. We’re also seeing a lot of searches around best places to go as a family, best places for couples, cheap destinations,” said Armstrong.
Airline ticket prices are up and have started to rise more during the month of May.
That’s why experts told ABC Action News that road trips are trending.
According to Google, some of the top searches online right now are road trips and using artificial intelligence to help plan vacations. Both searches spiked over 5,000% this month.
People are curious about taking advantage of AI technology in new ways.
“You can say, okay, I’ve got this many family members. If you want it to be a road trip you know my husband likes these things, my kids like to eat this food. Plug in all of those considerations, and it’ll spit out a really nice itinerary for you,” said Armstrong.
While AI can be a useful tool, experts said travel agents can still be crucial if you need someone with expertise about certain locations or help saving money.
Here are some tips to help your wallet as you’re planning:
- Make a budget for your trip.
- Be flexible with your travel dates. Flying on a weekday is typically cheaper.
- Use public transportation at your destination if possible.
- Book as early as you can so you’re not paying those last-minute fees.
“We have some tools to help your wallet a little bit. One of my favorites is Google Flights. We’ll track the prices of a flight now and give you that historical data so you don’t have buyer's remorse. We can tell you if it’s the best time to book the flight, or if that flight price usually drops, or if you should wait. If it does drop, we’ll send you an email so you can go ahead and book it,” said Armstrong.
Once you do book your trip, experts encourage you to purchase travel insurance if you can.
“You need to kind of get that when you purchase your trip. But if anything should happen, or bumps in the road, or medical issues, that will really save you in the long run,” said Judd.
