How Philly-area residents are saving money on summer vacations
More people are cutting back on their summer travel plans. The biggest reason cited: The increased cost of everyday life.
Kate Wagner Schleigh’s family of four usually spends $2,000 to $3,000 each summer on vacations to places like Pigeon Forge in Tennessee and Lake Wallenpaupack in northeastern Pennsylvania.
This summer, they’re cutting back.
“We are taking a weekend trip to Altoona this year, which is fine,” said Schleigh, a 43-year-old Lansdowne resident.
Schleigh, who works in politics, and her husband, an attorney, booked an Airbnb for $350 and got discounted tickets to the DelGrosso’s theme park in nearby Tipton.
“With prices rising, we just can’t afford to take a week vacation,” Schleigh said.
She is among the growing number of U.S. consumers who decided this spring to scale down their summer travel plans, according to Deloitte’s 2025 summer travel survey.
Others are cutting out vacation altogether.
Fewer than half of people plan to travel this summer, a recent Bankrate survey found. And 65% of non-travelers said they’re skipping a trip because they can’t afford it. The biggest issue is not the cost of the trip itself, according to the survey, but the increased cost of day-to-day life.
Reports like these — coupled with recent stock market volatility and low consumer confidence — have vacation towns across the country on edge. Business owners in destinations like the Outer Banks and the Ozarks recently told the New York Times that they remain cautiously optimistic, hoping more people will travel domestically than internationally, as many surveys indicate.
Amaya Thomas, a 29-year-old event manager from Deptford, and her husband, a transportation coordinator, are opting for a family vacation to Ocean City, Md., this summer. In recent summers, she said, they traveled to St. Lucia and Puerto Rico, paying about $3,000 per trip. They’ll spend less than half that this year.
Every time Thomas feels sad about postponing a more exotic vacation, she said a bill comes due, or she buys groceries. The cost reminds her why the decision was necessary.
“I am fortunate that we are able to travel and still have a family vacation,” she said. “This is the cutback we have to make.”
In December, the couple hopes to travel to Hawaii for their first wedding anniversary, if their budget allows.
More travelers are making last-minute plans
Airline and hotel bookings are down nationwide, with an increasing number of travelers taking a wait-and-see approach. That’s been a trend at the Jersey Shore, as well, where Realtors and tourism folks report a delayed rental season.
Several Philadelphia-area travel agents said their spring and early-summer business has been less consistent than usual, with more clients booking last-minute trips.
Jennifer Byrne, CEO of the Tropical Travelers, said her clients typically book about six months in advance.
But “in the past three weeks, we’ve been inundated with last-minute” requests, said Byrne, who is based in Malvern and whose clients spend about $7,000 per trip on average. “It’s like everybody wants to go right now.”
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Tara Fox, a Morgantown-based travel planner with A Scoop of Magic, said she isn’t sure whether people lost track of time this year or didn’t want to part with money amid economic uncertainty.
“People say, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t spend money that I don’t need to spend right now,’” said Fox, who plans trips that can range from $2,400 to $40,000.
Paul Ferdinand, president of Rainbow Voyages Travel in Philadelphia, thinks more people are hesitant to book due to financial precarity.
“Every time you turn on the TV or open a newspaper or go online, it’s right at you,” said Ferdinand, who recorded his “best spring ever” until May. Since then, he said business has been “very slow.”
Even in good economic times, clients are often choosing a vacation over a new TV, furniture, or another big-ticket purchase. Now, those decisions are even harder.
He added: “You’re probably competing this year with Christmas for families.”
How to save on travel
Even higher-end clients are hungry for savings this year, said Byrne.
“They’re definitely looking for deals, and they want good value for their money,” she said.
For people who have been toying with the idea of a summer vacation, travel agents say it is not too late to book. And with up-and-down demand, last-minute planners can even snag some deals, especially if they are flexible about dates and location.
Here are some of travel agents’ top tips:
Identify nonnegotiables, and things you’d be willing to sacrifice, Fox suggests. Would you rather have a nicer hotel for fewer nights, or a mid-range hotel for a whole week? Could your family split one hotel room instead of getting two rooms or a suite?
Flying? Explore options that don’t depart from PHL, said Ferdinand, who’s found deals out of the Allentown, Wilmington, Lancaster, and Atlantic City airports.
Summer can be a less expensive time to go to adults-only destinations in the tropics, Byrne said, while family resorts can be more expensive in the summer.
Seek professional help. Of course, travel agents have a bias when it comes to this tip, but research has shown they really can save you money, as well as time spent researching destinations, especially for complex trips.