(CBS) Travel has boomed this summer and it appears the rest of the year will be just as busy, according to travel industry insiders.

Victoria and Emre Bilgin from Potomac, Maryland headed for France this summer, along with millions of Americans who flocked to Europe despite dramatically higher air fares. “America’s getting more expensive and it’s cheaper to go abroad,” Emre said.

The couple stayed at the film and fashion-focused Hotel Martinez in Cannes, which CBS News Correspondent Wendy Gillette also visited for a special rate. It boasts spacious suites overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, including penthouses with a couple of the largest terraces in Europe, art installations, a new spa and a hopping retro beach club. “In terms of Americans, we see that the number is even greater than in 2019, so they are really back,” said General Manager Michel Cottray.

Forecasts show worldwide travel is also going to be busy the rest of the year. More than 5,000 travel industry professionals recently gathered at Bellagio Las Vegas for Virtuoso Travel Week. The luxury travel network expects to see sales around the world up almost 50% compared to last fall.

BOOK NOW, TRAVEL EXPERTS SAY

Experts say travelers should already be thinking about the holidays. Virtuoso finds sales and bookings for December 17th-January 7th are up 17% compared to last year. “This holiday season we expect the rates to be equal to what they were last year, if not even a little bit higher,” said Virtuoso’s Vice President of Global Public Relations, Misty Belles.

WHERE TO FIND TRAVEL DEALS

Some destinations will offer a bit more value the rest of the year. Virtuoso expects this fall, rates will be down slightly in Athens, Greece, and decrease significantly in Palm Beach, FL and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Over the holidays, travelers can also look for cheaper rates in New York and Vail, CO and substantial savings in Los Angeles. “You should already be booking for your holidays because there is so much demand for this year, that everything is filling up very quickly,” Belles said.

If the beach beckons this holiday season, Virtuoso predicts Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean will be filling up with Americans.