Traveling during peak season can be a drag. Visiting Europe in the summer, for example, means contending with higher prices, tight availability and throngs of fellow travelers. That’s why many savvy travelers choose to vacation during “ shoulder seasons ” that lie between peak season and low season — spring and autumn for many destinations.
Yet remote work and overcrowded peak seasons have increased the popularity of these shoulder seasons. Take the Jersey Shore, a popular seaside destination in New Jersey, for example. This coastal region has seen a significant increase in visitors during the fall months, with October through December occupancy rates in 2023 up by as much as 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a 2024 report from AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm.
And it’s not the only place that’s getting more visitors outside of peak season. Japan is one of the destinations seeing an uptick in visitors during shoulder seasons. As many destinations see more tourists spill into the shoulders, what’s the best way to avoid these offseason crowds? If everyone is zagging their travel plans, maybe it’s a good time to zig.
For example, Japan saw a huge influx of travelers this spring. The number of U.S.
citizens departing for Japan in March through May of 2024 rose 17% compared with the same months in 2023, and jumped a whopping 41% compared with the same months in 2019, according to the International Trade Administration. Similarly, Greece saw nearly three times as many U.S.
visitors from March through May in 2024 compared to the same period in 2019. Closer to home, popular national parks have seen a surge in shoulder season crowds. In Maine, “Acadia National Park, which was once highly seasonal with peak demand only in July and August, now sees high demand stretching from June through October,” Chloé Garlaschi, a communications manager for AirDNA, said in an email.
“This trend is part of a broader shift where national park destinations are attracting visitors outside of their traditional peak periods.” If everyone you know is talking about visiting Tokyo or Athens, Greece, maybe it’s worth researching locales that have seen fewer tourists in recent years. For example, Australia saw 27% fewer U.
S. visitors in the spring months of 2024 compared with the same months in 2019. China, which has seen much less U.
S. tourism since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, had 78% fewer U.S.
visitors this spring compared with 2019. Even within popular destinations, it’s possible to venture to offbeat locales with far fewer tourists. Most travelers to Japan visit the Eastern cities of Tokyo and Kyoto, but fewer venture inland to mountain towns such as Takayama, which boasts impressive temples and a quiet, quaint atmosphere.
And few foreign tourists visit the island prefecture of Okinawa in Japan’s south, despite its warm weather and distinct culture from the mainland. In the U.S.
, well-known national parks like Acadia (in Maine) and Yosemite (in California) may be popular during shoulder season. But lesser-known parks such as Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado or California’s Channel Islands National Park may see smaller crowds. When demand for travel to a destination peaks, so do prices for airfare, accommodations and ground transportation.
So looking for deals can save you money and help you avoid the most crowded spots. According to data provided by Hopper, a travel booking platform, these destinations in the U.S.
are seeing the biggest spike in flight booking demand this autumn: Meanwhile, these international destinations are seeing the biggest price spikes: Of course, just because a flight is expensive doesn’t mean the destination will be crowded, but it does provide a proxy for demand. These lists give a sense of which spots are hot even when the weather isn’t. Not all shoulder seasons follow the same pattern, so knowing the right time to travel to avoid crowds means more than just leaving in the spring or fall.
“In Phoenix and Scottsdale, [Arizona], we see an unconventional seasonal pattern,” Garlaschi said. “The peak season actually falls in February and March due to the mild winter climate.” And keep in mind that, even though travel data show shoulder seasons getting more popular, crowds (and prices) will still be much lower during these off-peak periods.
You don’t have to travel to the North Pole in winter to avoid overtourism. Photo Credit: Iryna Rasko / Shutterstock As summer wanes, U.S.
families are seizing their final opportunities for overseas travel before the new school year begins. Whether it's a beach vacation in the Caribbean, a mountain retreat in the Alps, or an urban exploration in Europe, summer remains the most popular season for U.S.
residents to venture abroad. The year 2023 marked a significant milestone as U.S.
international travel surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since COVID-19 disrupted global tourism. Building on this momentum, 2024 is poised to set new records, with Americans traveling abroad in unprecedented numbers. This surge has been driven by a combination of factors, including pent-up demand, more flexible work arrangements, and favorable airfares.
Source: Daily Drop analysis of U.S. Department of Commerce data Between 2019 and 2020, U.
S. international travel experienced a drastic decline of approximately 75% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The market began to recover in 2021 and 2022, showing modest gains.
However, it was not until 2023 that the number of Americans traveling abroad not only returned to pre-pandemic levels, but also surpassed them. In 2023, international travel saw an approximate 10% increase compared to 2019. This upward trend has continued into the first half of 2024, with an additional 10% increase over 2023 levels.
This consistent growth underscores the strong rebound in international travel as travelers regain confidence. Source: Daily Drop analysis of U.S.
Department of Commerce data In 2023, U.S. travelers showed a strong preference for destinations across Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
The United Kingdom emerged as the top-visited destination, attracting over 5.1 million American tourists. Other European favorites included Italy with 4.
4 million visits, France with 3.7 million visits, Spain with 2.5 million visits, and Germany with 2.
3 million visits. These countries continue to draw U.S.
travelers with their rich history, cultural heritage, and iconic landmarks. In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were the leading destinations, drawing 3.5 million and 2.
0 million American tourists, respectively. These destinations are particularly popular among residents from Florida, New York, and the Southeastern U.S.
, offering a mix of warm-weather activities, vibrant cultures, and convenient travel options. Asia also featured prominently on the travel list, with Japan and India ranking among the top 10 most-visited countries by Americans in 2023. Japan's blend of traditional and modern attractions and India's vast cultural and historical offerings continue to attract a growing number of U.
S. visitors. Significant growth in travel was observed in Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE, each recording a more than 75% increase in U.
S. travelers in 2023 compared to 2019. Several factors contributed to this surge, including relaxed visa requirements , enhanced marketing campaigns , and improved flight connectivity.
These efforts have made these destinations more accessible and appealing to American tourists seeking new experiences. However, geopolitical tensions, particularly the evolving Hamas-Israel conflict, have impacted traveler confidence , leading to a decline in tourism to the region in 2024 compared to the previous year. Despite this, the overall upward trend in visits to the Middle East highlights the growing interest of U.
S. travelers in these destinations. Source: Daily Drop analysis of U.
S. Department of Commerce data The frequency of overseas travel varies significantly by state and city of residence. Nationally, there were 146 overseas trips per 1,000 Americans in 2023, translating to an average of one international trip every six to seven years for each American.
However, residents of certain cities and states travel abroad far more frequently. At the state level, residents of New York and New Jersey travel overseas at roughly twice the national frequency. In 2023, New Yorkers made a total of 5.
9 million trips to overseas destinations (301 per 1,000 residents), while New Jerseyans completed 2.7 million trips (291 per 1,000 residents). Other top states include Florida, Connecticut, and Virginia.
Generally, residents of more diverse coastal states travel abroad more often than their inland counterparts. The three states with the lowest rates of overseas travel are Mississippi, Arkansas, and Idaho, each recording international travel rates of about one-third the national average or lower. Similar trends hold at the local level, with top coastal metropolitan areas like Miami, San Francisco, and New York City recording the highest rates of overseas travel.
These locations benefit from major international airports and diverse populations with strong global connections, contributing to their higher travel frequencies. Below is a breakdown of overseas travel statistics by metropolitan area and state. The analysis was conducted by Daily Drop , a website that compares travel rewards programs, using data from the U.
S. Department of Commerce. See Cities That Travel the Most Overseas on Daily Drop for more information.
Photo Credit: Iryna Rasko / Shutterstock The data used in this report is from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Survey of International Air Travelers Program , which measures outbound air travel conducted by U.
S. residents to overseas destinations (not including Mexico or Canada). All location data shown is for 2023 and represents the metropolitan statistical area or state of residence for the travelers.
Because travelers may visit multiple destinations on any given trip, destination visitation statistics do not sum to the total number of trips. To improve accuracy, certain destinations with small numbers of visits were excluded from the analysis. For complete results, see The U.
S. Cities That Travel the Most Internationally on Daily Drop. More From NerdWallet Sam Kemmis writes for NerdWallet.
Email: [email protected] . Twitter: @samsambutdif.
The article How to Avoid the New ‘Shoulder Season’ Crowds originally appeared on NerdWallet. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!.
