Whether you’re staying in the Pacific Northwest, cruising or flying abroad, there’s only one word to describe the upcoming summer travel season: busy. It may even be the busiest summer in recent memory.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have an expensive, stress-filled vacation. There are travel deals on the horizon as summer gets underway. And you can find pockets of sanity here and there.
“Booking trends and patterns look favorable for a busy summer in Seattle,” said Tammy Blount-Canavan, CEO of Visit Seattle.
Seattle is hosting some major events that will attract more visitors. They include MLB All-Star Week and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) monthlong conference. Many Seattle-area hotels are fully booked, and cruise lines are sailing to Alaska with no empty berths, she said.
“Travel in the Pacific Northwest is bustling with activity,” agrees Juriana Spierenburg, who manages the citizenM Seattle hotel in South Lake Union. “The pent-up demand for travel, coupled with the region’s popularity as a tourist destination, point to a busy summer.”
But not in the entire Pacific Northwest, and not all season. This year, there’s a big push to get out of town during the first half of the summer — and yes, prices will be sky-high. Heading into August and September, however, demand will taper off and prices could fall. You might want to plan your perfect vacation accordingly, experts said.
What to expect if you’re traveling anywhere this summer
No two ways about it: Travel will be pricey this summer.
- The cost of an international airline ticket from the U.S. is at a five-year high, according to Hopper, a smartphone travel app. Airfares to Europe average over $1,100 per ticket, and a flight to Asia will cost you around $1,800 per ticket.
- Domestic fares will be slightly cheaper, with
