(NewsNation) — As summer international travel grows in popularity, the Federal Aviation Administration expects an estimated 271 million Americans to board a plane between June 1 and Aug. 31.
Lena Vitter, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, joined “NewsNation Now” to discuss summer travel safety for Americans heading out of the country.
“One of the really interesting things about this year is that more Americans than ever before have passports, which means more Americans than ever before can travel abroad. . It's really good for them and for our country,” Vitter said.
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Summer travel will begin to surge starting with Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer. The FAA expects this year's Memorial Day weekend to be the busiest since 2010, with an estimated 53,515 flights occurring on the Thursday before Memorial Day.
As Americans take to the skies en route to international destinations, Vitter recommends keeping an eye on the State Department's website for travel advisories.
“One of the things I want to emphasize is how the Department of State is working to help Americans understand as much information as possible about their travel destinations and make informed decisions about their own destinations. It's about being informed. It's about safety and security, which means having a fun and trouble-free vacation,” Vitter said.
