By Shivansh Tiwary
(Reuters) – Heat warnings have prompted Americans to reconsider their Fourth of July travel plans and led to a rush to cooler holiday destinations, data from Booking (NASDAQ:.com) shows.
Coastal destinations and destinations that offer water activities have proven to be the best choice, with a third of Americans looking for water-focused vacations, including floating yoga, the travel booking website said in an email to Reuters.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
More than 100 million people in the US were under heat warnings starting Sunday, with East Coast cities bracing for record temperatures as the heat dome causing the dangerous conditions spreads to the West Coast.
The scorching temperatures have prompted vacationers to reconsider their plans ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, a time when a significant number of Americans tend to travel.
BY THE NUMBERS
Nearly 64% of U.S. travelers say rising local temperatures are driving them to seek vacation destinations with bearable temperatures, according to data from Booking.com.
For the period July 3-7, Panama City Beach, Florida saw a 32% increase in searches year-over-year, while Myrtle Beach, South Carolina saw a 30% increase. These are some of the other popular locations that have seen similar trends.
CONTEXT
Major US airlines are predicting huge demand for travel for the summer season. United Airlines expects this Fourth of July weekend to be its busiest ever and expects to fly an average of 520,000 people daily during this period.
However, data from accommodation searches shows increased interest in several waterfront destinations, indicating a clear link to the current heatwave.
