2020 Travel Trends Guide

While there’s plenty to be said for taking the proverbial road less traveled, fellow tourists can provide a wealth of knowledge to help shape a vacation filled with lifelong memories.

Whether you expect your travel plans for 2020 to take you near or far, having a pulse on how and where others enjoy spending their travel time may help narrow down your options. Start planning your next getaway armed with the findings of a trend report compiled by vacation rental app and website Vrbo, especially when it comes to selecting a destination and your accommodations.

Unique Accommodations

Traditional vacation home favorites like beach houses, cabins and condos still reign supreme, but adventurous American travelers are staying in some unusual options. In fact, 71% of millennial travelers said they would consider staying at a non-traditional vacation rental.

In addition to barns, castles and treehouses, properties on wheels and properties that float join the ranks of unusual accommodations travelers are booking. Travel demand for houseboats, yachts, RVs and travel trailers is up 30% year-over-year.

Surf’s Up

Portugal’s reputation for affordability, primo surfing and sunshine-filled climate make the country a desirable place to explore. That may explain why seaside locales in Portugal took three of the top five spots on the list of hottest international beach destinations for American travelers. Chania, Greece, took the top spot, followed by three Portuguese destinations: Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto and Lisbon. Catania, Italy, rounded out the top five.

For those seeking to stay stateside, four of Vrbo’s top five United States destinations this year are beaches, including: Gulf Shores, Alabama; Miramar and Rosemary Beach, Florida; Panama City Beach, Florida; and Maui, Hawaii.

Same-City Stays

Rental demand data in Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta and a number of other urban destinations showed the single largest traveler origin market for each city was that same city.

“‘Cele-cations,’ when people seek accommodations to host and spend time with groups of family and friends for milestone events like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, may be fueling the trend of people booking vacation homes in the same cities where they live,” said Melanie Fish, Vrbo travel expert.

Also high on the trend list: short-stay, drivable destinations located within 300 miles of home.

Up-and-Coming Destinations

Their names may not be familiar to the masses, but each of the top emerging domestic vacation destinations shares one thing in common: outdoor appeal. Places that appeal to families and other groups of travelers looking to explore the great outdoors are seeing a major surge over the past three years.

If an outdoor getaway is your ideal trip, consider destinations like Terlingua, Texas, located just a short distance from Big Bend National Park; Bella Vista, Arkansas, situated in the Ozarks near majestic lakes; Westport, Washington, surrounded by a bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west; Cherry Log, Georgia, which sits in the heart of Chattahoochee National Forest; and Edisto Island, South Carolina, a charming beachside retreat 1 hour from Charleston.

“This is the third year in a row travelers’ desire to be outdoors has filled the up-and-coming destinations list,” Fish said. “Clearly, people want the comforts of a home away from home while soaking in scenery.”

Find the trends and accommodations that match your 2020 travel dreams at vrbo.com.