Spring break travel comes with higher prices and safety concerns for students
With spring break quickly approaching, many college students are excited for a chance to leave the bitter Kansas weather and relax somewhere warmer.
Though the thought of relaxing on a nice beach sounds pleasant, rising travel costs and safety concerns are making it more challenging for students to live out their ideal breaks.
Kansas architecture student Lakin Appell says sometimes these fun getaways come with a price.
“For spring break, I’m looking more for a location that I know I’m going to enjoy, and sometimes that means spending a little bit extra more of my own money to make those experiences and make spring break worth it,” Appell said.
Fortunately, there are ways people can maneuver around additional unwanted costs that spring break can sometimes deliver.
Kim Ingalls, travel advisor at Destination Fun Travel, thinks you can still have a great trip even if you are on a budget.
“You can find it for less and if you’re willing to, you know, play around with your dates or look at a connection [flight], that definitely helps bring the cost down,” Ingalls said.
While high prices are making spring travel difficult for some, it isn’t the only concern. Recent conflicts happening around the globe are causing some travelers to wonder if it is even safe to take a trip.
Mexico is a favorite spring break destination among college kids, but a few weeks ago, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, was the location of violent fires after the death of a cartel leader. This has since sparked concerns if these popular locations are safe to travel to.
“Yeah, I think my family is a little bit nervous, especially my mom. I think she’s been doing a lot of reading about everything, and it’s kind of freaking her out a little bit more,” Appell said. “One of the big things my family’s already talked about since figuring out that everything’s kind of happening in Mexico is that we’re not leaving our property that we’re going to be at.”
Though there are concerns about traveling, experts say these locations are perfectly safe.
“There’s always some inherent risks in traveling just anywhere in the world, and so first you have to be smart. These areas really rely on tourism, and so it’s in their very vested interest to keep safe for you know, the US travelers to go down and visit them,” Ingalls said.
Ingalls recommended additional tips to ensure travel runs smoothly.
“Staying together, [using the] buddy system, taking a picture of your passport and putting it in your phone so you always have a copy…obviously I would encourage you to share your travel arrangements with a family member or a very good friend, so that they know where you are, what resort you’re at, what the dates you’re going to be gone,” Ingalls said.
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