Yes. But since you are already asking, here is the full reasoning so you know what to expect and how to make it last.
The most common version of this question is some variation of "I am going to be in the sun anyway, so what is the point?" But a spray tan and a sun tan are doing different things. A spray tan gives you an even, controlled bronze before you even get off the plane. Whatever sun you pick up on the trip builds on top of that. Instead of spending the first three days pale and waiting for the sun to do something, you start bronzed and just get better.
The Real Reason to Go Bronzed Before You Leave
Vacation photos. That is a big part of it, and it is worth just saying so. The first day at the beach, by the pool, at dinner, wherever you are going is when the camera comes out. Those are the ones you keep. A spray tan means you look the way you want to from the moment you land, not on day four after you have finally caught enough sun.
Beyond the photos, there is also just the feeling of it. Confidence changes how you carry yourself. Walking out of the airport already bronzed, already glowing, is a different experience than arriving pale and spending two days in a cover-up while you wait for the sun to do something.
You plan the trip for months. One appointment to look the way you imagined seems like a fair trade.
How to Time It
Book 48 to 72 hours before you leave. This gives the tan time to fully develop and settle before you get on the plane, and means you can do your first rinse before you travel. Arriving with a fresh, unwashed tan on a long flight is not ideal. You will be warm, probably sweating, pressed against a seat for hours. None of that is good for a tan that is still developing.
Two to three days out is the sweet spot. The tan is fully developed, your first rinse is done, and you board the plane already in your best color.
Making It Last Through the Trip
Sun, salt, and chlorine are the three things working against you on vacation. They will fade your tan faster than they would at home, which is completely normal and expected. Here is how to slow that down:
Moisturize Daily
Pack your Hempz and use it every single day, ideally morning and after any time in the water. Hydrated skin holds color. Dry, sun-exposed skin sheds it fast.
Rinse After the Ocean or Pool
A quick rinse with fresh water after swimming gets the salt and chlorine off before they sit on your skin and break things down. Thirty seconds, real difference.
Go Easy on the Exfoliation
Skip the exfoliating body washes and the loofah while your tan is on. You can resume your normal routine once it has faded naturally.
The tan will not look the same on day seven as it did on day one, and that is fine. By then you have real sun on your skin and the two blend together in a way that looks completely natural. The spray tan is the starting point, not the whole story.
Book a couple of days before you leave, keep up with the moisturizer, and show up looking exactly how you pictured it when you planned the trip.