For folks who are looking to celebrate the Fourth with a change of scenery, micro-cations are the name of the game, with safety, sanitation, and social distancing remaining top priorities. We’ll call it Travel Lite. Despite the various travel risks and limitations posed by the ongoing coronavirus, online vacation rental site Vrbo is seeing a surge in vacation demand, with current searches actually surpassing last year’s. And just like any other year, July Fourth travelers are excited by rural and on-the-water destinations with major summertime vibes, according to Vrbo’s trending travel insights for 2020. In other words, anywhere but the city (95 percent of demand is for non-urban destinations). Sun, surf, fireworks, and fireflies, please. Travelers are thinking smaller, shorter, and closer to home, and locations within driving distance are ideal for families. Vrbo has seen a 15 percent increase in demand for vacation homes within 500 miles of home. Families seem to have their sights set on any lake, river, beach, or mountain they can get to easily by car. And all the proof is in Vrbo’s top trending spots for Fourth of July, 2020, below. You’ll notice that interest in Outer Banks, N.C. has spiked and made the list, and we can likely credit the hit Netflix series Outer Banks for calling this idyllic seaside destination to travelers’ attention. And according to Vrbo, demand for the Hamptons getaways has grown twice as much as any other destination—something to think about if you’re hoping to avoid big crowds this July.
