We have attached traveling with a vengeance even through airline delays, testing requirements, and a shortage of car rentals. High plane ticket prices and a huge increase in airport crowds have not deterred consumer reaction to getting out of town. Road trips were a great way to explore our local and nearby attractions, but intrepid travelers desire to book trips of a lifetime, family reunion trips, and extended workcations. Revenge may be a little harsh, but the freedom to go beyond the front door is exhilarating.
What Is Revenge Travel?
The pop culture term “revenge travel” is loosely defined as travel for pleasure after being restricted and home-bound for the past 2 years. Adventure seekers and leisure travel enthusiasts are booking the trips they have been dreaming about throughout lockdown.
If you search #revengetravel on Instagram, it has over 14,000 tags and is growing. Thinking about revenge travel, planning it, and actually embarking for a dream destination is a sauve to sour the pain we have experienced these rough past few years.
So far in 2022, my post-pandemic travel includes 10 states, one territory, and nine countries. It was extra special to be some of the first outside visitors many countries had seen since before the pandemic. These trips were not all revenge travel — I travel for work. And yes, there was some paperwork and lots of nose swabbing — but it was so worth the effort. For those of us with a healthy dose of wanderlust, there is a distinct sense of satisfaction in boarding a plane, taking a group tour, and dining inside beautiful restaurants.
Many tourist destinations are welcoming guests with open arms. Destinations that depend on tourism like Aruba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Monaco have walked a line between keeping the local population healthy and having a tenuous hold on the spiked demand for tourism. Many, many guides I have chatted with over the past year are grateful they can once again provide tours. Particularly in Europe, tour guides pass rigorous testing to market themselves as guides. They are professionals and have extensive backgrounds in the region’s history and gifts.
Why You Should Try It
Eugene Sue wrote, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” In other words, take time to prepare your revenge travel properly. When the time is right for you, book your most desired destination, most decadently delicious itinerary, and dive into the world of revenge travel with delirious delight.
Revitalize your life by recapturing those experiences lost. Relish gathering with friends and family while making up for lost time.
Best Places For Revenge Travel
The best place to relish revenge travel is the place you have been yearning to visit. When you are ready, invoke this new media buzzword and plan a vacation destination that fills your heart with joy.
Are you all about fun in the sun? Consider Aruba. Brilliant sunshine, beautiful beaches, and amazing food. If you are seeking an off-the-hook but accessible adventure, consider the amazing views in Banff, or a walk on ice with an Athabasca Glacier tour. If you are ready to hop over the pond, a river cruise is a luxurious and relaxing way to see several countries in your floating stateroom. You could maybe explore a new-to-you international city like Prague where you can bar hop to discover your favorite taproom.
Tourist Destinations Are Ready
Of all the trips we planned, rescheduled, and eventually canceled are still destinations we want to visit. The travel industry is ready to go and want-to-be adventurers are ready as well. We want to see the world, we are ready to see the world, and we need to see the world.
I recently returned from a Mediterranean Cruise. The ship had over 1,000 passengers happily gathering together, making new friends, and touring popular Riviera coastal cities. Some people wore masks and a few booked private tours, but in general, it was just like 2019 — packed with European, Australian, and American tourists. Over the course of 18 days, I was asked to put on a mask one time — on a bus tour. There were also no locator forms to fill out across seven different countries and I never had to present my vax card. The hospitality industry wants to make your travel experience enjoyable.
A Major Bonus: The Cost Of Airline Tickets Is Coming Down
Great news from the airline industry: Flying should be easier and more wallet-friendly as we head into the end of 2022 and into 2023.
Hopper.com’s Consumer Airfare Index Report Q2-2022 predicts the increase in domestic airfare for September 2022 to only be 4 percent greater — at $304 — than it was in 2019. And, it will be considerably lower than the March peak of $361. Considering the current cost of jet fuel prices, 4 percent is not a significant increase. It is also part of a downward trend in airfare prices since we have passed the summer season and moved into the fall shoulder travel season. Similar downward trends are predicted for international travel. This is a good sign for travelers who want to recreate bookings they had to cancel.
If you want to go where all the cool kids are heading, then check out these most searched late spring/early summer domestic travel locations. According to Hopper, the most searched flight information was for New York City, then Las Vegas, and in third was Orlando. The City That Never Sleeps, Sin City, and The Happiest Place On Earth — that’s a trio I can appreciate. It proves that many vacation-starved Americans want to travel, be with large crowds, and have over-the-top fun!
The top three international searches for the same time period were London, then Paris, and Cancun in third. Big cities and private oasis getaways are at the top of our crave-ability list.
Let’s Make Up For Lost Time
Whether you travel internationally or domestically, exploring today to make up for lost time is fabulous travel — revenge or not.
Intrepid travelers are taking back their ability to explore our beautiful world and set aside the past 2 years. As we each create our own agenda and broadly describe revenge travel, planning a fabulous long weekend getaway or an extended vacation, 2022 and 2023 are becoming the best times of our lives. You still have time to get on the revenge travel train, plane, bus, or automobile — choose which way to enact your revenge.
Final Thoughts On Revenge Travel
Stay realistic and travel as you feel comfortable. If airline travel still gives you pause, then enjoy a relaxing road trip. Do you need a spot with fewer crowds? Discover a new-to-you spot for some quiet, off-season fun. Looking to book a luxurious European fantasy trip? Go for it. Travel advisors have the best up-to-date information on destinations; now is the time to utilize your favorite industry professionals.
