Harrisonburg travel agency talks summer vacation trends

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – With the weather warming up and summer break not far away, many people are gearing up for a trip or thinking of booking one down the line.

“We have seen a great deal of people going to Hawaii, we have seen just as many people going to Alaska, but then the other big thing on people’s list was the Mediterranean,” said Terrie Dean, Owner, and General Manager of the Wishing Well.

Dean said one reason people are gravitating toward those destinations is due to recent delays in passport offices.

“People had expired passports and needed to renew them, but they had this energy where they needed to get out and travel, so they picked places that wouldn’t require a renewal of their passport,” said Dean.

That same reason contributed to the uptick in vacations to destinations, like Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Despite recent airline issues and safety concerns with major airlines, people are still grabbing their boarding passes.

“Regardless of whether it is a Boeing flight or United that carries them from point A to point B, they want that convince of that direct, nonstop flight,” said Dean.

Some airlines have taken a hit economically, though, which have helped ticket prices drop.

“Particularly on the long haul flights from this area into Europe and other destinations, so now is actually a pretty good time to shop,” said Dean.

If you are opting to stay on the ground and drive to your destination, be aware of scams. The latest one is targeting people by sending a text message or email claiming they were on a toll road and need to pay.

“It has only been in the last couple of years where businesses can bill like this, by capturing your license plate when you go through the censors on the toll road and you get a bill. The trick is the bill comes through the mail, it does not come via text message or email,” said Julie Wheeler, President of the Better Business Bureau serving Western Virginia.

Wheeler said if you did drive on a toll road and get a bill in the mail, make sure you pay it. If you get a suspicious message, you can call to check to see if the bill is legitimate.

“Go online and find out who does that state tolls, and find out if it is legitimate,” said Wheeler.

If you are traveling internationally, Dean recommended registering your trips through the State Department in case an issues arise in the country you are visiting.

Copyright 2024 WHSV. All rights reserved.