How Currency Exchange Rates Will Affect U.S. and European Travel This Summer
Skift Take
It's probably too early to tell how the exchange rate will impact European travel to the U.S. as the summer season is the best barometer for that. But there's little question American travel to Europe will see big gains.
A rising U.S. dollar against the euro is both a curse and blessing for American and European hoteliers and destination marketing organizations working to multiply their visitor arrival numbers.
The current exchange rate, somewhere around one U.S dollar equals 0.92 euros, is the closest the two currencies have been since the Recession and creates more affordable American travel to Europe. Across the pond Europeans still get a deal on U.S. travel, especially from the U.K. where the British pound sterling is nearly double the dollar.
But as the euro-dollar gap continues closing there's no question Americans will realize a European vacation is within closer reach.
"All in all I think this will jumpstart U.S. travel to Europe, lots of European countries are in the doldrums and the U.S. economy is improving while the European economy isn't," said George Hobica, president of airfares alert site Airfarewatchdog. "The only question is
