Is This Going To Be Another Summer Boom For Small Town USA?
Our travel plans have been hamstrung over the last year or so when it comes to travel. Entry and reentry restrictions have been constantly changing and the cancellations have piled up. We are still not out of the woods yet and the return to travel is going to be extremely bumpy this summer and into the fall. Not only that, but many big cities are still in turmoil with closed attractions, limited options, protests and just an overall lacking of services. That has led to a mass exodus of people from the city to the “burbs” but it also prompted a change in travel patterns over the last year plus. And I am wondering if it will be the same this summer too.
Big Cities Are Not What They Were
Places like NYC and LA have been a shell of themselves since the pandemic kicked off. Museums shuttered, restaurants limited if open at all, some hotels closed and many restrictions in place. All of that leads to a not so great travel experience. And for a long time travel was discouraged to the those places at all. This isn’t unique to the large coastal cities either. Without bars packed, stadiums roaring and concerts humming there isn’t as much of a draw to large city centers. I think that has had people return to more rural America in their travels.
Road Trip Makes A Comeback
The road trip from our youths returned in a big way in 2020. Campers and RV purchases were on the rise as were rentals of both. Places that offered outdoor activities, which had less restrictions and were safer during the pandemic, were the draw of many. Staying at a place where you could cook your own food and be more self contained flourished, hello Airbnb! The small town travel boom had returned to it’s glory days.
As a kid growing up in Michigan going “up north” for a week in the summer was the expected summer trip of many families. You could hop in the car, drive a few hours and settle into your cabin by the water. You would hit the quaint downtown for a little shopping and dinner plus explore all the area had to offer. As air travel became more affordable, opening the country to more people, these small towns suffered.
That was until the pandemic flipped everything on it’s head. People started looking at underserved areas that still had a lot to offer, if you were looking in the right place. You didn’t need to fly to the Caribbean to hit a nice beach. You may be able to find one a few hours down the road. It may not have been sexy but it got the job done.
What About This Year & Going Forward?
As our vaccinated numbers continue to rise, and we start our long return to normal, will our travel patterns revert to our old ways? Are the big cities going to be making a comeback in 2021 and 2022. Will small town USA keep a spot in your heart going forward?
I think many will still feel a little uncomfortable in the march back to normal. It will be difficult to get comfortable of the old norms for many, even after fully vaccinated. We have been conditioned to be extra cautious for a long time now and that doesn’t go away over night. Because of that I think rural America will get at least one more busy travel summer. Hopefully many have rekindled their love of the small town and they will keep the traffic up into the future. Small town USA has been hurting for a while now and if one good thing comes from this pandemic, in a travel sense at least, it could be rediscovering small town USA.
Final Thoughts
I know our family made some truly amazing memories while staying close to home last summer and I look forward to repeating it this summer and for years to come. Don’t get me wrong, I miss my international fancy travel too, but there is enough travel to go around in my book.
But I have always been a lover of small town vacations and the modified staycation so I may be reading too much into things. That is where you come in, what are your plans this summer travel season? Are you still mixing in more off the beaten path places or are you reverting to your old travel norms already? Let me know in the comments.
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My family has increased focus on international travel in 2020/2021.
Everything is cheap, people are desperate for money after the governments of the world attacked the poor with science-less lockdowns.
Just tipped taco cart guys in Latin America $10 for lunch.
Also, international travel is amazing right now.
Going non stop, easily the best travel abroad of my life.
(FYI, non vaccinated, no intention since there is no benefit. Masks? Social distancing still? Lol. Hard pass on vaccine with no benefits)
Since the pandemic, we’ve become more open to the idea of renting homes through services like VRBO, and are a little less likely now to stay in hotels for longer stays. We rented a condo for a week last summer in Colorado through VRBO, and are renting a home near the beach in SW FLA for a week this coming summer. It’s nice not to have to battle crowds at restaurants all the time for every meal, and to have a little more room for the family to spread out and be comfortable.
I think it makes a ton of sense for longer trips. It is nice to not be crammed into a small hotel room for long periods of time for sure.