The American love affair with the beach extends from the eastern shore to the Gulf waters to up and down the west coast. The beaches of our country do not stop there, however. The Great Lakes of the north and the lake homes that sit along the beaches of the many fresh water lakes that reside in so many states in our beautiful land of America.
The quintessential American vacation seems to be centered around the summer months and trips to the water. All along practically every mile of the east and west coasts, vacationers flock to the ocean to relax on America’s great beaches. Some own their beach houses and many, many others rent theirs for weeks, months or even longer. When it comes to vacation destinations, 37% of families who were polled say that vacations make them happy, that they enjoy the time with their families.
Vacationing at the beach has become a major part of the US economy in many ways. There are roughly 15 million jobs that are supported by travel expenditures of vacationers in some way. When it comes to the cities and towns that experience their biggest boost in their economy during the year, tourism really does keep them going. One in every nine jobs has to do with tourism or travel in the US.
There are many, many small towns in America, whether they be on the oceanic coasts or in the neighborhood of popular lakes that rely almost exclusively on summer or some seasonal tourism to keep their economy alive. Shops and restaurants make the majority of their income over a very short amount of time, typically in the summer. Those towns that are located in the more southern parts of the country like Florida or New Orleans welcome visitors when the northern parts of the country have long since bade farewell to the heat of the summertime. Beach houses in Florida in January would be much more appealing than they would in New Jersey. Likewise, spending a few relaxing days in beach houses around an Oklahoma lake would make more sense than spending time in Daytona Beach during hurricane season. During the hottest dog days of summer, the coast of Maine could be a perfect location for a nice relaxing vacation compared to someplace with severely hot temperatures.
Whichever type of beach you desire, there is something for everyone to enjoy. For most people, just sitting and relaxing on the beach is why the go. Unwinding and recharging at a beach location is exactly what 52% of respondents worldwide said they would be doing within the next 12 months. Regardless of how often we take vacations, many of us know for sure where we do not want to go. Of those polled, 33% said that they would rather be at the beach than traveling to spend time with relatives.
