Fall Beach Trips Are Rising in Popularity This Year, According to Vrbo

Americans eager to travel this summer are continuing to plan into the fall, otherwise known as "shoulder season," home rental company Vrbo shared with Travel + Leisure.

It's no secret summer travel has been off to a booming start with record numbers of people flying, travelers expected to spend big bucks, and many countries reopening their borders, but Vrbo says off-season months in the fall are seeing a surge in popularity at more than 30%.

"At this time of the year, we are normally approaching the off-season when families have a wider selection of Vrbo vacation homes to choose from and can take advantage of warm weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices in top beach destinations," Melanie Fish, Vrbo's travel expert, said in a statement shared with T+L. "This year, families have taken longer vacations to make up for lost time and because their work or school schedules have been more flexible. Having experienced the booking spree for vacation homes this summer, travelers may also be taking their beach or lake vacation later because they just couldn't get the house or condo they wanted in July or August."

Destinations like Hawaii, including Maui and Kauai, are in high demand with lower availability of homes into the shoulder season — or "second summer," as the company has dubbed it. The influx of tourism to Hawaii has picked up so dramatically, Maui's Mayor Michael Victorino has even asked airlines to bring fewer travelers.

Beyond the Aloha State, Vrbo is seeing a bump in demand to beach destinations in the Southeast like the Outer Banks, N.C., and Hilton Head, S.C.

Many destinations have eased COVID-19-related protocols and travel restrictions — even Hawaii waived pre-arrival testing requirements for vaccinated domestic travelers — but Chicago recently reinstated some.

This week, the Windy City added two states (Missouri and Arkansas) back onto its orange list, which advises unvaccinated travelers to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their visit or quarantine for 10 days. Chicago previously hadn't had any states on its travel advisory list since June 1.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.