Travel Forecast with Expedia

This year families are looking ahead for that great summer vacation get away. That is why the Vice President of Global Communications at Expedia, Sarah Gavin wants you to know that families who vacation together help empower each other. Family bonding-time can be compromised by jam-packed schedules. That is why it is important that families are making family getaways a priority.

Vacations help families feel better connected, but finding destinations and activities that appeal to everyone and that are affordable is a challenge. Whether you’re planning a cozy road trip or some far off adventure, its always a good time to save. That’s why Gavin and The Hype magazine share in a satellite interview, a few strategies on planning a warm family vacation aimed at togetherness with lots of activities that appeal to everyone.

We are beginning to consider our plans for family vacation this summer. What are your top picks for vacation destinations both at home and abroad?

The really good thing to know is that no matter where you want to go, airfare is less expensive than it’s been in the last three to four years. In fact, it’s at its lowest cost since 2013, down about four percent versus last year. No matter where you want to go, right off the bat, you are saving money. So, that is good news. It’s a good idea to go abroad, because the American dollar is so strong versus the Euro or the Pound or even the Canadian dollar. It’s a really good time to think about Paris, London, Rome or Madrid. Something people really have on their bucket list. Locally, beaches are where it’s at! If you thinking about great beaches go to Florida or California. Even places like Tybee Island in Georgia. There are a lot of really good beach destination and a lot of ways to save by bundling your flight and your hotel together.

Taking the whole family can definitely get expensive. If we’re looking to save some money and have a great adventure, what do we need to know and where should we be looking to go?

The number one way to save money no matter if it’s a family vacation, guys trip, or couples get away always book your flight and hotel together. It is the same concept as your internet and your cable. That bundling concept applies in travel and you can save up to 20 percent off. If you think about big resort destination, like Mexico or the Caribbean, you can save more like $800 to $1000 a person. In my case, I’ve got four kids across a family of six and that kind of savings really adds up.

What are your best tips for planning a vacation that will appeal to kids of different ages?

The biggest thing is that you want to think about how you can give kids responsibility that sets them up for success that is appropriate for their age. We range from teenagers down from age nine. Our rule in our family is that mom and dad get to pick the flight and hotel, but the kids get to pick all the activities. So, you can go on Expedia, go to the activities tab, and you can have confidence that the activities there are things that Expedia has actually chosen. On our last trip to Mexico, we ended up doing zip lining, snorkeling, whale watching, and then we rode camels. Which is like the most random thing you can do, but it made the kids feel super empowered. Like it was their vacation.

What are your favorite money-saving hacks when it comes to booking a vacation?

Well there is a new travel hack that has just come on the scene within the last couple of months and it’s called member only deals. It is easy as 123. So, one sign into the website before you search. So, on a website like Expedia, Travelocity or ChoiceHotels.com, sign in before you search. Two, go ahead and conduct your search the same way you normally would. Search every way that you know to search for a hotel. Three is save. Which you will find is that you will save ten percent off all of these hotels that participate in member only deals. On a site like Expedia there are over 60,000 hotels that are participating. Just by signing in and searching, you will save ten percent right off the bat. It is the easiest way to save money.

Can using loyalty rewards really make a big difference on our out of pocket costs?

It can! We think of that member only deal as an extension of loyalty rewards. The other great hack that’s out there right now is actually a partnership that we have with St. Jude’s children’s research hospital. St Jude’s is an amazing organization that saves children’s lives all over the world. They are great partners for us! Right now, we have a coupon where you can save money on your summer vacation and for everybody who uses these coupon codes related to Saint Jude, we will donate $100. So you can feel like you are giving back. For more information, you can go to expedia.com/summervacation.

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Tags: DCypher Studios, Expedia

About the Author

David Morales is the Executive Editor of The Hype magazine. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, David has a background as an artist manager, writer, blogger, drummer, and in the human services industry. He is passionate about helping others, learning and has a deep empathy for the creative process. You can follow his social media @dcypherstudios