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If you want your summer vacation to be filled with rest and relaxation, the last place you want to go is an overpriced tourist trap with huge crowds. To steer clear of all that so you can actually enjoy your trip, Clint Henderson, frequent traveler and managing editor at The Points Guy travel site, says you really want to pick the right destination. And if it’s peace and tranquility you’re looking for, there are some destinations to avoid this summer.
Henderson says “The White Lotus” effect is real, referring to the popular HBO series featuring luxury travel in Hawaii and Sicily, Italy. “Pretty much anytime you put a location in a film or a popular TV series, it’s going to become really popular,” he explains. “In fact, it’s tough to even get a hotel room sometimes now in Sicily.”
But it’s not just Sicily, Henderson says demand is up for pretty much all European destinations this year. Here in the U.S., Hawaii is also dealing with “The White Lotus” effect, with hotel prices especially high on the islands this summer. Japan is also in demand, as it only recently reopened to tourism after a long COVID shutdown, and flight prices are extremely high.
- As for deals, Henderson says the few to be found are from low-cost airlines launching new routes.
- Flying mid-week can also help cut the ticket price down.
- The travel expert advises waiting until September and October, if you can to find better deals on hotels and flights.
- One place Henderson has seen a drop in prices is rental cars, which he says are cheaper than they’ve been in several years.
Read the story at The Hill