Fun Freetime: Holiday Travel Trends

The 2021 holiday travel season is already looking different from 2020, and to assess how consumers are regarding this season, RetailMeNot teamed up with top travel dealmaker Priceline to publish a joint study on 2021 holiday travel and spending trends, plans for gifting travel and the most popular destinations this season.

You can see the Holiday Travel by the Numbers report - here are a few highlights.

• Roughly 51% of consumers plan to travel this holiday season to visit family or to take a vacation.

• 41% plan to travel for a vacation over the holidays this year.

• Travel makes a popular gift this year, with roughly 40% of consumers saying they plan to give the gift of travel. Of those travel-gifters, 1 in 4 will gift a hotel or rental home voucher, and 20% will gift flight tickets.

You can learn more in this interview.

Why is it important to consider more than just the flight in terms of budgeting for vacation?

• When booking a vacation, there are several items to consider other than flight when budgeting such as hotel accommodations and rental cars. It's also best to factor in activities and costs such as food and miscellaneous expenses like souvenirs within your budget. 

Why might families want to consider destinations that are a little more off the beaten path?

• Destinations that are a little off the beaten path should be taken into consideration for vacation destinations due to affordability. Although a big city may be cheaper to fly into, the hotel rooms might be more than what you bargained for. Consider staying in the smaller metro areas around the big city and renting a car instead for travel.  

How can families make sure they are getting the best bang for their vacation bucks?

• The best way to save is to book with a vacation package. By bundling your hotel, flight, and rentals, you can save an average of $240 overall--which is really beneficial if traveling with your family. It'll even take the stress out of searching for each individual item on separate websites. 
• Be flexible in your timing. Lots of people want to fly in, in time for Christmas and New Year's Eve and fly back in time to return to work quickly. So, if you can book yourself to get in early, or wait a few extra days to fly out to avoid peak travel times, you can save a bunch. Of course, it helps if you have a free place to stay, such as with family, because otherwise, you'll erase your savings on extra hotel nights.
  
• Use your points. Paying in points is an obvious choice for saving money–as well as using rewards that you’ve technically already paid for. Points and frequent flyer miles can also be a huge relief when it comes to last-minute travel expenses.
• Check with the locals! Some of the best ways to save, or places to visit, will come from word of mouth so why not ask those who are native to the area. Chances are you'll discover cheaper options than you'd find online or from travel guides.