The new “normal” in American travel is simple: shorter, less expensive vacations or even just daycations, according to several reports.
“Maybe you’ve been on one of these mini-trips in the last year. If you haven’t, you probably will,” writes travel commentator Christopher Elliott.
Travelers say they’ve begun strategically downsizing their vacations, and there’s no evidence the cuts will be reversed anytime soon.
“Quite the contrary. From where I’m sitting, it looks as if these changes are here to stay,” he says.
An American Express survey released earlier this year found that 80 percent of travelers were trying to trim costs for summer travel by driving instead of flying and looking for deals. But this is not just an issue in the Americas.
A Gallup poll concluded that four in ten EU residents cut their vacations in 2009.
“You know it’s serious when the Europeans say ‘non’ to their hard-earned getaways, “ Elliott says.
No doubt about it, being frugal is "in."
By David Wilkening
