Partial view of downtown Atlanta and the World Of Coca-Cola on July 17, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
ATLANTA – Despite rising costs for food, housing, electricity, healthcare and transportation, people are still eager to take a break and go on vacation. According to experts, most people view vacations as a necessity for their mental health and are willing to delay buying a new car or other material goods to escape their daily routine.
According to TheVacationeer.com82% of Americans plan to take a vacation this summer, and half of them plan to take more than one trip.
However, while wealthier consumers are feeling optimistic due to a strong stock market and rising home values, poorer families have less money to spend on vacations and are looking for the best value for their budget.
To help Americans plan their next vacation, WalletHub The study ranked the cheapest and easiest-to-access U.S. destinations. It analyzed 100 of the largest metropolitan areas across 41 key indicators, including the cost of flights, the average price of a meal for two, the lowest nightly rate for a three-star hotel room, the number of attractions, weather, restaurants per capita, shopping malls, concert venues, golf courses and country clubs, food festivals, parks, swimming pools, and crime and safety.
Best Summer Travel Destination: Atlanta
When all factors were considered, Atlanta emerged as the top summer travel destination for 2024, according to WalletHub. Here’s the breakdown for Atlanta:
- General classification: 1st
- Costs and hassles of travel: 7th
- Local costs: 38th
- Number of attractions: 20th
- Diversity of attractions: 4th
- Cheapest flight cost: 3rd
- Cost of a three-star hotel: 26th
- Weather report: 15th
- Activities: 7th
- Security: 29th
Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Washington, DC Area
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Chicago, Illinois
- El Paso, Texas
- Cincinnati, Ohio
Additional findings
- Lowest travel costs and hassle: Santa Rosa, California
- Highest travel costs and most common hassles: McAllen, Texas
- Lowest local costs: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Highest local costs: Santa Rosa, California
- Most attractions: Los Angeles, CA
- The least attractions: Deltona, Florida
- Most activities: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Least activities: Jackson, Mississippi
- The safest place to travel: Washington DC
- The least safe place to travel: Memphis, TN
Other articles on Georgia ranking
