Travelocity Introduces a New Trend: the “Toe-Dip Trip”
Take a Dip
Toe-Dip Trip – (noun) A shorter getaway to help rebuild confidence in traveling, before taking booking bucket-list trips.
Travelocity — the source for all things family travel, has been keeping an eye on how families are thinking about travel throughout the pandemic. During the summer of last year, Travelocity ignited the space with their idea of a ‘Safecation,’ and are now back with the latest trend, the ‘Toe-Dip Trip’. As more and more of the world gets vaccinated, it’s important to consider the ways that travel will continue to evolve throughout the pandemic.
Recent survey data shows 60% of travelers say they’re ready to roam again and are planning a post-pandemic trip within the next 9 months. “We may be dreaming of that big bucket list trip, but what travelers are actually planning so far this year are visits to familiar destinations nearby, weekend getaways or road trips and beach trips,” says Melissa Dohmen, travel expert from Travelocity.
Travelocity’s team of experts even created a list of the top “toe-dip” destinations for Spring Break — which for many, are just a a road trip away. Check it out:
TOP SPOTS FOR SPRING BREAK
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Tennessee is the top family-friendly destination so far in 2021 – Home to 4 destinations in the top 20 most reserved and most loved by families so far in 2021.
Top TN Cities:
1. Pigeon Forge
2. Gatlinburg
3. Nashville
4. Chattanooga
Orlando and Vegas remain popular, even in pandemic times – Resorts in both locations are popular for families with extra amenities and safety built in, like free cancellations, giving travelers time to change their trips if they change their minds.
In the West, families are road tripping for lake views and tiny mountain towns. Lake Tahoe, Big Bear Lake and Lake Havasu City are among the top road trip destinations, in addition to smaller ski towns with mountain views.
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Lake Destinations:
1. Lake Tahoe
2. Big Bear Lake
3. Lake Havasu City
- Mountain Towns:
1. Blowing Rock, NC
2. Mammoth Lakes, CA
3. Glenwood Springs, CO
Midwest cities are popular for weekend getaways. Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis are seeing the greatest demand for weekend getaways and shorter stays (2-night stays or less). Kansas City, Lincoln, NE, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, and Columbus, OH are also in the top 25 most reserved by families.
Travelocity’s Top Tips
1. Change your mind, change your trip.
Shop hotels with free cancellation and flights with free
change fees on any future travel. That will make it easy for you to alter plans if you need to. Many hotels are offering free cancellation up until the week of the reservation.
If you’re flying, consider skipping basic economy fares
which often don’t come with as much flexibility right now.
2. Prioritize what makes you feel safe when traveling in the short-term.
Enhanced cleanliness filters can help you sort for hotel,
VR and resort properties going above and beyond right now.
Look for 3 things in particular:
Additional safety measures (like PPE and temperature checks)
Social distancing (such as limited use of amenities such as pools and extra vacancy time between bookings)
Cleaning practices (including use of disinfectants and hand sanitizer for guests)
3. Pack and plan with pandemic prep in mind
Cover the basics by packing clean masks and sanitizer and do your prep by
familiarizing with local guidelines at destination and when you return home.