SEATTLE - Summer travel inarguably looks different this summer, and the latest report from Expedia.com sheds light on the emerging priorities and behaviors of Americans looking to get away. Leveraging search and demand data and a national poll of 1,000+ Americans, results from the report include:

"People miss travel, they have vacation days to use and they also want to stay safe," says Senior Director of PR and Social for Expedia.com, Nisreene Atassi. "Given how quickly the advice and restrictions are changing, one of our main priorities at Expedia is making sure our customers have the information they need to navigate this summer travel season."

Read on for more insights and tips from the Expedia 2020 Summer Travel Report.

Summer travelers staying closer to home

Last-minute getaways are also on the rise, with more travelers booking trips 0-7 days out this summer than in previous years.

"While the desire to get away is still going strong for many of us, how and where we're choosing to go this summer looks different," says Atassi. "Beaches and national parks remain popular, but more Americans are choosing destinations that are closer to home and drivable, versus going somewhere more exotic. Interestingly, we've seen that travelers are making these plans at the last minute. Things are so unpredictable right now with COVID-19, so it's possible that travelers feel more comfortable making travel plans for the near future vs. planning too far ahead."

Safety first: road trips seen as the safest way to get away this summer

As travelers venture away from home and destinations open back up to tourism, health and safety takes priority over price when trip-planning. 72 percent of survey respondents said they're opting for a road trip this summer because it feels safer than flying, and more people listed health and safety (72%) and avoiding crowds (68%) as top concerns over budget (60%). In response to these concerns, the industry is rolling out new sanitation measures to help minimize risks. Expedia displays these hygiene amenities on the site so travelers can feel comfortable leaving home; they'll know whether a hotel property has enhanced cleaning processes or if an airline requires passengers to wear face masks.

Travelers can also message their hotel or vacation rental right from the Expedia mobile app and ask for more info on their policies, request special arrangements or check whether certain amenities like the pool or spa are going to be open.

Flexibility

To make it easier to search for flexible options, Expedia lets travelers filter by hotels that offer free cancellation and airlines that are waiving any change fees for future bookings.

"People often choose non-refundable rates because they're generally cheaper, but with so many destinations eager to welcome back tourists it's more realistic than ever to find a great value without having to sacrifice flexibility," says Atassi.

Planning tips and tricks

For more information and inspiration on trip planning, check out the Expedia Viewfinder Blog.

About Expedia.comExpedia.com is one of the world's largest full-service travel sites, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (https://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation destinations, affordable airfare, hotel deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps.

2020 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Expedia and the Airplane logo are trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST# 2029030-50.

Visit our web site https://www.expedia.com/ or use our mobile app to book cheap flights and hotels.

1Data based on interest or demand on Expedia.com during June 2020 for travel between June 1 - September 7, 2020 compared to the same time periods in 2019.

2Survey commissioned by Expedia and conducted by Survey Monkey, polling 1,077 respondents, aged 18+, located in the U.S.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world's travel platform. We help knock down the barriers to travel, making it easier, more enjoyable, more attainable and more accessible. We are here to bring the world within reach for customers and partners around the globe. We leverage our platform and technology capabilities across an extensive portfolio of businesses and brands to orchestrate the movement of people and the delivery of travel experiences on both a local and global basis. Our family of travel brands includes: Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Expedia Partner Solutions, Vrbo, Egencia, trivago, HomeAway, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Group Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert, CarRentals.com, Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Classic Vacations, Traveldoo, VacationRentals.com and SilverRail.

2019 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

Originally posted here:

Expedia 2020 Summer Travel Report Reveals Same-State Stays, Road Trips and Flexibility Pave the Way to Recovery - Hospitality Net