USA Today: 2022 Travel Trends, Outdoor Trips, Pet-Friendly Destinations

While the current omicron-fueled coronavirus surge has introduced a new layer of uncertainty to 2022, most experts are still expecting big things for travel in the year ahead. From pent-up demand to pandemic-era changes that are probably here to stay, here are the travel trends that will impact how (and where) Americans travel in the year ahead.  

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4. Travelers will keep heading outside

A lot of travelers who headed to state and national parks during the pandemic found that getting out into nature makes for a memorable trip. “There really has been this rediscovering of the great outdoors over the past two years,” says Monika Geraci, a spokesperson for the RV Industry Association (RVIA).

And it’s a trend that shows no signs of slowing down in 2022. Helping to drive that? A slew of first-time RV owners. According to RVIA, more RVs were built in 2021 than any other year on record and the association expects similar numbers in 2022 to keep up with demand from travelers who want to head out on a family road trip and explore the country’s natural wonders and tourist attractions. A recent RVIA survey found that 72 million Americans plan on taking an RV trip in 2022. 

Millions of people also tried family camping for the first time in 2020 and 2021 and plan on pitching a tent or booking a cabin again in 2022. Saskia Boogman, director of public relations for Kampgrounds of America (KOA), says advance deposits are strong for 2022 throughout the country. “We’re not seeing one place that is hot and one place that is not; it is everywhere,” says Boogman.

Dude ranches are also anticipating a busy 2022. “We have ranches booking into 2023 already and ranches that are already 100% full for 2022,” says Bryce Albright, executive director of the Dude Ranchers’ Association, which represents more than 90 of the best dude ranches across the western U.S. “People are still very much looking for nature-based vacations.”

Check out the full article from USA Today here.