This Will Be the Most Popular Summer Travel Weekend, According to a New Study

Alison Fox
·2 min read
Boardwalk
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Americans are gearing up to celebrate the country's independence on the Fourth of July, which according to a new study will likely be the most popular holiday weekend for travel this summer.

Nearly half of people surveyed said they plan to go somewhere for the July 4 holiday weekend, according to a poll of more than 1,000 people from vacation rental management platform Vacasa. That was followed by Memorial Day when 31% of people said they plan to travel and Labor Day when 25% of people polled said they plan to travel, according to a new study shared with Travel + Leisure.

"Based on our survey results, we anticipate that holiday weekends — and Fourth of July in particular — will be high-demand travel periods this summer with nearly half of U.S. travelers planning to take a trip," Natalia Sutin, the VP of revenue management at Vacasa, told T+L.

Travelers appear to be heading toward the coasts to Ocean City, Md., and Bethany Beach, Del., which ranked as some of the most sought-after spots for the holiday period of July 1 to July 4, according to Vacasa. The Florida and Alabama Gulf Coasts as well as the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Massachusetts' Cape Cod, and the Oregon coast are also proving to be very popular.

When it comes to Memorial Day Weekend, travelers are looking at homes in Destin, Fla., Ocean City, Md., and Holden Beach, N.C.

With the Memorial Day holiday just around the corner and the summer season upon us, Sutin said it's important to book soon.

"For those looking to get away over any of the long holiday weekends, we recommend booking [accommodations] sooner rather than later, especially if you're interested in a larger vacation rental," she said. "Larger homes tend to book up earlier, which makes sense when you consider the advance planning that goes into extended family or group trips."

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.