Americans choosing to visit smaller towns over big cities as travel costs rise

ARNAUDVILLE, LA – As travel costs continue to climb, some Americans are rethinking their destinations, swapping out trips to major cities for smaller towns.

In Arnaudville, Louisiana, that trend is starting to show up.

“[A] small town like Arnaudville is a great place to drop in and visit,” said short-term rental host Larry Lemarié. “There’s no pressure here. There’s no traffic here. It’s very laid back people.”

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Lemarié has hosted nearly 500 stays at his small wooden cabin, known as “Cajun Acres,” which draws visitors from across the country and around the world.

“Phoenix, Arizona… Auckland, New Zealand… Marseille, France,” he said.

He said many guests are simply looking for a quiet getaway.

“We do get a lot of people who come to visit New Orleans, but they want to see what’s Louisiana life like,” Lemarié said. “So they like to get out of the city for a few days… where it’s much more relaxed and laid back.”

Arnaudville sits at the intersection of Bayou Teche and Bayou Fuselier, where visitors can explore swamp tours, local art spaces and live Cajun music.

Arnaudville was recently featured on a list by Airbnb highlighting 20 lesser-known destinations across the U.S.; places the company says travelers may not have considered before.

“86% of travelers said they’re very interested in visiting remote or rural destinations,” said Laura Spanjian, Airbnb’s global head of public policy.

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Spanjian said that reflects growing interest in trips that are less traditional.

“More and more people… really do value traveling off the beaten path,” she said.

For some, the draw is the food.

“Yeah, it was great in New Orleans… but if you come down here, you’ll find out it’s better,” Larry Thomas said.

That growing interest also comes as travel costs continue to rise.

“I think [the interest is up] particularly now with… the rising cost of living and gas and flights,” Spanjian said.

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According to the U.S. Travel Association Travel Price Index, airfares have risen nearly 15% since March of last year, while food and beverage prices are up about 3.7% and hotel and motel prices up about 2.1%.

Airbnb says many of these smaller destinations have little to no hotel presence, opening the door for travelers and bringing new spending to places that may have been overlooked.