A recent social listening study of 21.3 million online uses of key travel terms, found travellers are now caring more about who they travel with, as opposed to the where they go when planning their vacations.

The University of Florida’s Agency at UF, in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, found that approximately one in five mentions of summer vacations in the study included a reference to doing everything together and spending quality time with loved ones, whether that be family members, a significant other, or friends.

“What we perceived anecdotally has been confirmed by a dive into the language that (people) are using around travel,” said Dr. Rachel Fu, Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and Chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Florida. “(The) ideal destination for summer travel can now best be summed up as “anywhere and everywhere,” with few expressing enthusiasm for specific locations, and instead committing to bringing besties, significant others, and family along to… wherever.”

About one in 10 mentions of summer vacation hint at a tropical, sunny or beach locale, but otherwise, destination specifics are sparse. Travel chatter indicates a desire for trips jam-packed with multiple stops, attractions, and activities.

Travellers are now longing for an “awaycation” as well, which to them means anywhere outside of their home, as opposed to a “staycation,” a term that had been wildly used for the past two years but has dropped significantly since 2020 and 41% year over year.

“Bringing loved ones together for a fun-filled, stress-free vacation is what we do, so we are happy to find that today’s traveller is craving just that,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

And to no surprise, the pent-up demand for travel is at an all-time high. Confidence in travel has increased 58% since January, and about 63% of mentions expressed optimism about the changing travel landscape for 2022, according to the study.