ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – It’s that time of year again: spring break.

What You Need To Know

  • AAA Reports Orlando is the number one Spring Break destination this year

  • Travel Agents predict rates to continue to increase

  • Over 6 millon passengers will fly in and out of MCO during spring break travel

This time of a year is a boon for the Central Florida leisure and hospitality sector.

Visit Orlando reports hotel bookings for March running at 82% pre-pandemic levels, and in April it’s 88%.

Visit Orlando also reports that 90% of U.S. travelers have plans in the next six months which should benefit Orlando and Central Florida.

Since 1992, Janet Danio has owned ATEC Travel. In 2020 and for parts of 2021, the coronavirus pandemic made her job seem obsolete.

“Not good at all,” Danio the president of A Traveler’s Exclusive Corporation (ATEC) begins to explain. “I cancelled everything that was booked for 2020 and 2021, and that's not good.”

It’s a new story in 2022.

“Hotels you think would be $80 to $90 dollars are like $190 to $250,” Danio says. “They have already started to increase prices which I don’t like, but that's what they do.”

When it comes to tourism, Central Florida has it all. Beaches, theme parks, and hotels. Danio says if prices are soaring, there’s a simple reason why.

 

“Supply and demand,” Danio stresses. “It’s not fair to the clients. They know it’s supply and demand. They know the time so they raise the prices because they still may be the low end.” 

According to AAA Orlando is the number one travel destination for Spring Break this year. Orlando along with Mexico and Hawaii are seeing up to a 211% increase in flights, hotels and car rentals for the months of March, April, and May from the same time last year.

Meaning if you don’t book now, or lock in a good summer rate early, you will pay even more than what spring break travelers are paying now.

Florida is a drivable vacation for many, both in and out of state. For those flying in, MCO is expecting over 6 million spring break travelers, which would be a 35% increase from spring break travel a year ago.