Vrbo Travel Trend Report reveals what to expect in 2021

Research shows which pandemic travel trends aren't going away

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Nov 12, 2020, 12:00 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vrbo® released its annual Trend Report to explore changing travel behaviors. Eight out of ten families (82%) are already making plans for 2021, and those plans include frequenting fresh water, snuggling in cozy cabins, and (finally) taking that bucket list trip. This year's edition of the report also revealed that some pandemic-era travel habits will stick around, like road trips, visiting the great outdoors, and mixing work and play.

"Let's face it – the pandemic makes it tough to predict what travel will look like in 2021. That's why we combined search and demand trends on Vrbo with a first-of-its kind traveler survey of U.S. families," said Melanie Fish, Vrbo's travel expert. "The combination of survey and booking data is giving us the most accurate picture possible of the plans families are making for 2021."

Top findings from the 2021 Vrbo Trend Report include:

Pandemic travel habits will stick around: Road trips, an affinity for the great outdoors, and taking Flexcations – a longer stay combining work and play – show no signs of slowing down:

59% of families say they are more likely to drive instead of fly on their next trip.^[i]
61% of U.S. families said they are more likely to visit an outdoorsy destination than an urban one.
52% of travelers who took a Flexcation this year found the experience refreshing and 67% said they would do it again.

Lakes, rivers and streams reign supreme: Vrbo demand data reveals an uptick in destinations near lakes and rivers across the south, midwest and eastern regions of the U.S. Vrbo's top emerging destinations^[ii] are all places where families can fish, camp and hike. Among the top five:

Emory, Texas – A place between two lakes filled with largemouth bass – also home to a small but mighty attraction, the A.C. McMillan African American Museum.
Slade, Ky. – Home to Red River Gorge, a hot spot for hiking, climbing and water sports – also close to Mammoth Cave National Park, rich with the history and stories of African American cave explorers who helped lay out the hundreds of miles of cave systems that make up the park.
Outer Banks, N.C. – A scenic coastal destination with flora and fauna aplenty.

Time to go all out: Countless families canceled vacations in 2020, so they are willing to pull out all the stops when travel returns to normal.

65% of travelers plan on traveling more than they did pre-COVID and 33% are willing to spend more than they traditionally would.
54% say they are more likely to take their bucket list trip.

The Trend Report also details trends about vacation planning, the desire to redo canceled vacations, and the most popular property types where families want to stay.

Read more about the 2021 Vrbo Trend Report here, and download the full report here.

About Vrbo

In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between.

Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.

^[i] Based on a Kelton Global survey of 8,000+ family travelers across eight countries, Oct. 2020

^[ii] Based on Vrbo travel demand for the 12-month period ending August 31, 2020

For more information, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE Vrbo