Spring break has long been the epitome of a de-stress, let-loose, get-away-from-it all vacation — regardless of age. Given the continued pandemic roller-coaster, we wanted to dig into new trends of those who are planning a spring break getaway in just a few short months. To find out why, where, and how people plan to spring break, we surveyed nearly 10,000 VacationRenter customers from around the globe and asked them to reveal their upcoming travel preferences.

Beach-Bound and Chill

More than half of those surveyed plan to head to “beach or coastal” destinations for their getaways. Since traditional beachy sojourns tend to allow for ample relaxation — not to mention social distancing — this trend aligns with the 42% of respondents who say they are traveling to unwind. Party-hard college crowd destinations, like Daytona, aren’t as popular. Instead, folks are opting for easy-breezy and family-friendly spots. Currently, top searches on VacationRenter include an array of coastal holiday havens that trend toward chill vibe over the crowded, DJ-thumping scene:

• Key West, Florida
• Maui, Hawaii
• Siesta Key, Florida
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Hilton Head, South Carolina

In general, outdoorsy spring vacations are leading the charge amongst VacationRenter customers. Those choosing “adventure or expedition” destinations and “ski” vacations along with “beach or coastal” preferences make up a whopping 91% of those surveyed. In addition to the seaside destinations (most of which have thrill-seeking potential including surfing or helicopter tours) VacationRenter searches also include the following mountain destinations as top picks for spring 2022:

• Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Mammoth Lakes, California
• Vail, Colorado

For those not chasing the surf or snow, the formerly (pre-pandemic) popular “party or festival” category had a showing of just 9% in our survey. Given that we are now entering the third pandemic spring, this hit to big-fest hubs is unsurprising given event cancellations and continued coronavirus-wariness amongst would-be partiers. Nevertheless, New Orleans and Miami continue to crop up in the top 20 destinations of VacationRenter’s current searches. This plucky “laissez les bons temps rouler” mentality may indicate pandemic fatigue or simply a desire to visit some party-famous destinations without partaking in the big crowds. 

About VacationRenter

VacationRenter brings all rental options from the leading travel sites together in one place and showcases only the best results, eliminating the need to spend hours searching and scrolling. For more information, visit www.vacationrenter.com

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