Thursday Thirteen #430

Looking back on summer. I didn't go anywhere this past summer. To be honest, I didn't really want to because it was too damn hot to be outside. But lots of Americans went lots of places. Spinning around the internet, here are some summertime travel facts. 

 

1. Domestic travel, as per usual, was more popular than international trips.

 

2. Concerts were vacation events this summer. Young women enjoyed traveling together to other cities to see their favorite artists. 

 

3. For example, Houston reported an increase in hotel bookings during Beyonce's Cowboy Carter concert dates in June.

 

4. Young men favor bro trips to other cities for sporting events.  

 

5. That explains why the best-attended regular season baseball game this season was at Bristol Motor Speedway. 91,000 fans flocked to Bristol, TN, to see the Atlanta Braves play the Cincinnati Reds in August.

 

6. Couples like traveling with other couples to foodie destination. In 2025, Oneonta, NY, in the Catskills saw a bump in tourism with the promotion of their breweries and food-to-table restaurants.

 

7. The #1 reason families gave for hitting the road this summer was family reunions, or visiting family members.

 

8. Americans are road warriors. Nearly half would prefer to drive to their vacation destination.

 

9. Smaller towns near big cities saw increased hotel bookings. For example, Long Beach is less than hour away from Los Angeles. Many vacationers chose to save money by staying in Long Beach hotels, taking advantage of the canals and beaches, and then driving to Los Angeles to take in LA's attractions.

 

10. Staycations were popular in summer 2025, too. Hotels enjoyed a summer bump from locals who wanted to take advantage of the restaurant, pool, and spa services.

 

11. All 50 states have amusement parks – from large theme parks to local fairs. That gave staycation families a destination not too far from home for a day of fun.

 

12. Local families also made museums the centerpiece of their staycation.

 

13. U-pick farms have seen an increase in popularity, too. It's fun and educational for kids to pick their own fruits and vegetables.

 

So what did you do this past summer? Was your summer more exciting than mine?

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