By Darryl Geddes
The traditional summer vacation -- that getaway with mom, dad and the kids setting out in the car for some resort in the mountains or at water's edge -- is becoming a victim of societal changes and consumer demands.
"The days of saving up and making elaborate preparations for a summer escape from the suburbs are waning," says Malcolm A. Noden, a tourism policy expert, travel consultant and senior lecturer at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. "The traditional summer vacation, as many of us know it, is becoming part of America's past."
Noden says the break-up of the American family is one of several reasons summer vacations aren't what they once were. "These were always times families could count on where they would all be together, but that's changed," he said. "Today, with parents having joint custody of their children with many differing custody agreements, summer vacations can be too emotional and, frankly, too much trouble to coordinate."
The reworking of the traditional summer vacation does not mean Americans are not vacationing.
"In fact, we do it more frequently now, but for shorter stays," Noden said. "Consumers, in increasing numbers, have a greater desire and willingness to go further afield for shorter periods of time."
The low costs and greater availability of air travel have opened a diverse menu of destinations for the traveler at the expense of some of America's most traditional resorts, he noted. "Our view of the world has changed. Twenty-five years ago, a trip to the Poconos was hot stuff. It was a day's drive, 100 miles. Today we drive 100 miles to the airport."
The change in vacation destinations also reflects the desire to experience it all -- a sort of race against time to dot one's travel résumé or passport with exotic hot spots that hopefully neither one's neighbor or co-worker have yet found.
"It's the 'been there, done that' attitude that propels us to jump on a plane and fly to Belize to scuba dive in the coral reefs," Noden said. "Years ago, our more traditional behavior would have been to go to Miami and sit on the beach."
But despite these vacationers, who are breaking with tradition when it comes to the summer vacation, there still are people who set out in their car with road map in hand in pursuit of rest and relaxation.