Partial view of downtown Atlanta and World Of Coca-Cola on July 17, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
ATLANTA – Despite rising costs for food, housing, electricity, medical care, and transportation, people are still eager to take a break from the grind and go on vacation. Experts say most people view vacations as a necessity for their mental health and are willing to delay purchasing new cars or other material items to escape their daily routines.
According to TheVacationeer.com, 82% of Americans are expected to take a vacation this summer, with half of those planning to take more than one trip.
However, while wealthier consumers feel optimistic due to a strong stock market and rising home values, poorer families have less money to spend on vacations and seek the best value for their budget.
To help Americans plan their next vacation, WalletHub developed a ranking of the cheapest U.S. destinations that are also easy to reach. They analyzed 100 of the largest metro areas across 41 key indicators, including the cost of flights, average price of a two-person meal, lowest nightly rate for a 3-star hotel room, number of attractions, weather, restaurants per capita, retail shopping centers, music venues, golf courses and country clubs, food festivals, parks, swimming pools, and crime and safety.
Best Summer Travel Destination: Atlanta
When all factors were considered, Atlanta emerged as the best summer travel destination for 2024, according to WalletHub Here’s the breakdown for Atlanta:
- Overall Rank: 1st
- Travel Costs & Hassles: 7th
- Local Costs: 38th
- Number of Attractions: 20th
- Diversity of Attractions: 4th
- Cost of Cheapest Flight: 3rd
- Cost of Three-Star Hotel: 26th
- Weather: 15th
- Activities: 7th
- Safety: 29th
Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations
- Atlanta, GA
- Washington, D.C. area
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Honolulu, HI
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
- Chicago, IL
- El Paso, TX
- Cincinnati, OH
Additional Findings
- Lowest Travel Costs & Hassles: Santa Rosa, CA
- Highest Travel Costs & Most Hassles: McAllen, TX
- Lowest Local Costs: Tulsa, OK
- Highest Local Costs: Santa Rosa, CA
- Most Attractions: Los Angeles, CA
- Fewest Attractions: Deltona, FL
- Most Activities: Honolulu, HI
- Fewest Activities: Jackson, MS
- Safest Place to Travel: Washington, D.C.
- Least Safe Place to Travel: Memphis, TN
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