Hope is on the horizon for those dreaming of summer travel. With President Joe Biden targeting July 4 for small gatherings and public health experts giving summer getaways the green light, many are already planning an escape.
At Audley Travel, the phones are ringing off the hook from those looking to book.
"In the last three months, we've seen a 300% increase in bookings," said Alex Shattuck of Audley Travel.
Shattuck said prices are still reasonable, but will be going up due to all of the pent-up demand. He also said many are looking to travel to domestic destinations first.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Life in Lockdown
"Hawaii is our single biggest booking destination, followed by the U.S. national parks," Shattuck said.
On Cape Cod, vacation rentals and hotels are also in hot demand. Matt Pitta, the director of communications for Red Jacket Resorts, said they are expecting a huge summer at their properties.
"We started getting hundreds of phone calls in January from people inquiring about availability, and from that point on, it has done nothing but accelerate," Pitta said.
Pitta said the popular summer weekends are already starting to fill up and anyone looking to book a Cape escape should do so soon.
"If you want a certain room or date, don't wait. There is so much demand this year, we are going have to hire more employees," he said.
The travel and tourism industry is starting to bounce back in Boston, too. Martha Sheridan of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau said more people are starting to inquire about small weddings and events. She said what would help is more advance notice from the state about when the gathering limit will increase.
"We're hopefully that will increase as vaccinations go up and infection rates go down. People are tired of being cooped up at home and they're ready," Sheridan said. "They're not looking, they're booking."
