CNBC: RV Road Trips Are Back And Better Than Ever

If the summer of 2020 is memorable to vacationers, it will likely be as the year of not straying too far from home. But that doesn’t mean you need to limit your horizons: The great road trip is enjoying a resurgence. 

This year, 46 million Americans say they plan to hit the open road in a recreational vehicle (RV), up from 25 million in 2019, as coronavirus lockdowns force travel lovers to look closer to home for their holiday getaway.

“It is predicted that car travel will be the preferred transportation mode,” Dr. Lynn Minnaert, clinical associate professor at New York University’s Tisch Center of Hospitality, told CNBC of forthcoming travel trends.

And the open road is already beckoning.

From early April to May, bookings on rental website RVshare surged 1,000%, while reservations on Outdoorsy jumped 1,500% from their low in March. Shares of America’s two largest publicly-traded RV companies Winnebago and Thor have jumped 244% and 230%, respectively, from their March lows. 

But if the idea of long hours stuck in stuffy traffic jams fill you with dread, think again. Just as the travel industry has evolved over recent years to offer more affordability and tailor-made experiences, it has also paved the way for a host of road trip options. 

Check out the full article from CNBC here.