Spring break: Asheville & Vail

Google’s Flights analysis shows Hilo, Hawai‘i sits at No. 1 on the spring‑break list and notes that five of the top 10 trending U.S. spots are on Florida’s west coast; the rankings use the percentage increase in Google Flights searches for domestic trips in March–April 2026 versus the same period in 2025. (blog.google.com) (blog.google) Explore Asheville reports fiscal‑year 2025 group travel generated $67.4 million in direct spending, 477 booked events and 115,393 group room nights, figures the city cites as evidence of record group demand heading into 2026. (exploreasheville.com) (exploreasheville.com) Explore Asheville’s 2026 promotional push points to new draws—recent Michelin recognition for local restaurants and a PGA TOUR return with the inaugural Biltmore Championship scheduled Sept. 17–20 at The Cliffs—as contributors to rising visitation. (exploreasheville.com) (exploreasheville.com) Vail’s official spring‑break travel guide targets mid‑March through early April for “bluebird days, soft spring skiing and lively village energy,” framing late‑season skiing as a draw for spring‑break travelers. (vail.com) (vail.com) Regional operational schedules keep Vail Valley’s 2025–26 ski season running into April — OnTheSnow lists Vail’s projected season end as April 19, 2026 — while mountain condition trackers showed Vail’s upper snow depth at about 43.7 inches and lower depth around 19.7 inches on March 23, 2026. (onthesnow.com) (onthesnow.com) Local reporting flagged unusually warm, record‑breaking temperatures and a spike in avalanche warnings across Colorado in mid‑March, a weather pattern that has affected snowpack stability and late‑season ski safety in resort areas. (vaildaily.com) (vaildaily.com) Pinellas County tourism posted a $11.2 billion economic impact and 15.4 million visitors in fiscal 2024, and Visit St. Pete‑Clearwater recorded a single‑month bed‑tax record of more than $14.6 million in March (reported in 2024), yardsticks that contextualize Clearwater Beach’s spring surge. (visitstpeteclearwater.com) (visitstpeteclearwater.com) City and county sources warned of heavy local traffic and logistics: Clearwater police estimated as many as 50,000 cars per day could cross the Memorial Causeway during peak spring‑break weeks, while Tampa International Airport handled more than 3.3 million passengers over last year’s spring‑break period. (tampabayobserver.com) (tampabayobserver.com)