WASHINGTON — As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decrease and vaccinations go up, more and more people are traveling.
Travel experts are expecting a surge in people booking trips this summer and in the following years.
The phenomenon is being coined as "revenge travel."
The idea around "revenge travel" is rooted in people getting "revenge" against COVID-19 and the power it has had over their lives. People were forced to cancel all their trips in 2020 and were confined to their homes for much of the pandemic.
Travel experts are expecting a huge spike in people booking trips as things begin opening back up.
WUSA9 spoke with a local travel company called Noire Escapes which has already seen a surge in bookings with people ready to spend points and miles that have added up over the past year.
TSA has also been screening more than 1 million passengers a day since February which is a huge change from the all-time lows it saw during the pandemic.
While the increase in travel may sound exciting, Anita Mitchell with Noire Escapes explained customers may also see a surge in prices going up.
“They can definitely expect maybe in the next couple of weeks for those cheap prices to disappear,” Mitchell told WUSA9. “I would tell travelers – if you haven’t already, go ahead and start making those deposits on these trips.”
Whether traveling domestically or internationally, she added it is important to understand that COVID-19 restrictions look differently everywhere.
Travelers should research and know what restrictions may be in place at their destinations ahead of time so they can plan accordingly, Mitchell said.