The coronavirus pandemic forced many people to cancel their travel plans last year. That's why travel experts say there may be an explosion of summer getaways.
"There is definitely some pent-up demand for travel," said Doug Shupe of the Auto Club of Southern California. "In the near future, we anticipate that most people are going to look to their car or truck for a road trip."
Shupe says while a lot of people hope airline destinations open back up by the second half of the year, most people are looking at vacation spots closer to home.
"They're going to be going to National Parks and socially distanced areas," said Shupe. "Especially this spring and for summer vacations."
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AAA says Hawai'i is a top destination, but you need to have a negative COVID-19 test to visit. Other parts of the country include Seattle, New Orleans, Las Vegas and Austin.
"A lot of people are looking for family destinations to spend time outdoors," said Shupe.
Some of those destinations also include amusement parks where people can be outdoors. Shupe says there is a lot of interest in Disneyland and in Orlando for Disney World and Universal Studios. Still, Shupe expects most people to wait on traveling very far.
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"Lots of people are taking road trips but sticking closer to home this spring," said Shupe. "There are still great deals for car rentals, hotels, and airlines."
Shupe says they expect a lot of mask restrictions to still be in place. If you want to learn about the rules, AAA has a map of restrictions by state that you can view here.
