Travel costs rise as Americans look beyond big cities to smaller destinations

ARNAUDVILLE, LA – As travel costs continue to rise, some Americans are rethinking their destinations and swapping trips to big cities for smaller towns.

In Arnaudville, Louisiana, this trend is starting to emerge.

“[A] Short-term rental host Larry Lemarié said a small town like Arnaudville is a great place to stop by and visit. “There is no pressure here. There is no traffic here. People are very relaxed.”

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

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

Many guests are just looking for a quiet getaway, he said.

“There are a lot of people who come to visit New Orleans, but they want to see what Louisiana life is like,” Lemarié said. “That’s why they like to go out of town for a few days…it’s a much more relaxed and quiet place there.”

Arnaudville is located at the intersection of Bayou Teche and Bayou Fuselier, where visitors can explore swamp tours, local arts, and live Cajun music.

A welcome sign points to Arnaudville, Louisiana. (Olivianna Calmes/Fox News)

Arnaudville was recently featured on Airbnb’s list highlighting 20 lesser-known destinations across the US; Destinations that the company says travelers might not have considered before.

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

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Spanjian said this reflects growing interest in less traditional outings.

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

A map highlights lesser-known destinations identified in a recent Airbnb report. (Olivianna Calmes/Fox News)

For some, the main thing is food.

“Yes, New Orleans was great… but if you come here you’ll see it’s better,” Larry Thomas said.

This increased interest also comes as travel costs continue to rise.

“According to me [the interest is up] especially now with the rising costs of living, fuel and flights,” Spanjian said.

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

Airfare, food and lodging costs increased last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association. (Fox News)

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