(NEXSTAR) – With Americans feeling like their wallets are being stretched thinner and thinner, some families may be ruling out travel this year to save money. But for those who still want to get out of town, there are deals to be found.
As the tourism industry braces for a rough year, American travelers could luck out by finding good deals or less crowded hot spots.
“It’s twofold,” said The Points Guy Senior Editor Becky Blaine. “On one hand a lot of destinations and hotels will be offering deals to attract visitors. On the other hand, we could see less overall visitation, which means places like your national parks might not be as crowded.”
“Think back to the first summer of 2020 with COVID,” she continued. “I personally took my family on a nine day trip to the Western national parks. We went all the way up through Utah and into Wyoming, to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons and Arches National Park, because I knew we might never see our parks that empty ever again with international travel shut down. Well, now international travel is not shut down, it’s just lacking demand.”
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We aren’t experiencing 2020-levels of travel disruption, but there substantial questions remain on how depressed tourism will be this year.
“We’re kind of staring down at this summer of uncertainty in a lot of ways,” said Blaine.
Towns near national parks are concerned a drop in summer travel will mean fewer tourism dollars.
Other places that rely heavily on international tourism are also bracing for impact. A Las Vegas tourism report released last month, for example, showed visitation and hotel occupancy were down year-over-year.
If you’re looking for hotel deals, Blaine advised, think of “tier one” destinations.
“When we say ‘tier one,’ it’s usually the first place someone who is newly coming to the United States, they might check one of those big cities off the list first.”
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Places like New York, California and Florida are popular with international travelers, but may now be looking to draw in more domestic tourists with lowered prices. The Western U.S. and its impressive landscapes are also usually a big draw for European travelers – who may or may not show up this year.
“Anecdotally, I was just doing research for my own vacation for the first week of June,” Blaine recounted in mid-May. “You can still book cabins in Grand Teton National Park. You can still book camping spots in Grand Canyon National Park. That is unheard of.”
Those looking for cheap travel need to keep their eyes peeled for sales and limited-time deals, Blaine said. She rattled off several hot sales happening in May, such as a New York to Hawaii roundtrip flight for $449 (usually over $800). For those booking with points, American Airlines had great values to Barcelona and Air France had a deal to Athens, she said. The Points Guy and other travel publications post about these types of deals regularly.
In order to save big on travel this year, flexibility is key. If you’re open in terms of timing and destination, try reading about travel sales and picking from there. You can also explore Google Flights, which lets you explore cheap flights from your home airport to anywhere in the world.
“You can use that explore map and look across the US and be like, ‘Hey, I just want to go somewhere. I’m flexible. Who’s got some cheap airfare?’ And start that way if you don’t particularly have a set place in mind.”
Those without school-aged kids should consider taking their summer vacation a little later, in September or even October, when prices tend to drop. Blaine advised flying out on the day of a holiday, like on the Fourth of July, to save money.
