Travel insurance provider Allianz Partners is predicting a busy summer travel season for 2022, according to two travel trends reports. Findings from the Top 10 Summer Destinations review indicate that travel will be up 16% over last year, and that almost 75% of Americans are planning to travel within the United States this summer, with beach destinations ranking as the top vacation spots both domestically and internationally. The Top 10 Summer European Destinations review, meanwhile, indicates that travel to Europe will soar 600% over last year, with most travelers headed to London, Paris and Dublin.
Orlando Lands the No. 1 Spot for the Top U.S. Place to Visit This Summer
According to the Allianz Summer Destinations study (which analyzed more than 1,175,000 flight itineraries), most Americans are planning a U.S. vacation this summer. Ever-popular Orlando, Fla., ranked as the No. 1 choice for domestic summer travel for the sixth year in a row, while beach destinations in Hawaii took several of the other top 10 U.S. spots: Honolulu came in third, while Kahului, Maui, ranked fourth.
Other U.S. Cities That Are Making a Comeback
Cities are also likely to be popular as the pandemic eases, with the Pacific Northwest gaining favor this summer. Seattle moved up two places from last year’s ranking, coming in second on the 2022 list, while Portland, Ore., ranked ninth, marking its first appearance on the list since 2019.
Other top U.S. destinations for summer 2022 include Boston (No. 5), New York City (No. 6), Los Angeles (No. 7), Las Vegas (No. 8) and Denver (No. 10).
“While it’s no surprise that Americans are planning to kick back and relax in sun-soaked destinations both domestically and internationally, U.S. cities that were once buzzing tourist destinations pre-pandemic — like Boston, New York and Los Angeles — are seeing a significant return of travelers this summer, as well, signaling a positive step in tourism recovery,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners.
Mexico and the Caribbean Are Top International Travel Destinations
On the international front, most Americans are looking to Mexico and the Caribbean for their summer trips this year. Mexico beach destinations took the top two spots on the list (Cancun and San Jose del Cabo), as well as the No. 6 spot (Puerto Vallarta).
In the Caribbean, travelers are headed to Oranjestad, Aruba (No. 3); Montego Bay, Jamaica (No. 4); Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (No. 5); Nassau, Bahamas (No. 7); Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (No. 8); and Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands (No. 9).
Liberia, Costa Rica, rounds out the list of international summer travel destinations, coming in at No. 10.
London, Paris and Dublin Are the Most Popular European Summer Spots
Allianz's Summer European Destinations review (which analyzed more than 40,000 flight itineraries), found that 22% of all Europe bookings for this summer are for London, likely inspired by the Queen's Platinum Jubilee festivities that will take place around the city. Paris came in second on the list, with Dublin taking the third spot.
Other in-demand destinations for the season include Reykjavik, Iceland (No. 4); Rome, Italy (No. 5); Edinburgh, Scotland (No. 6); Lisbon, Portugal (No. 7); Athens, Greece (No. 8); Barcelona, Spain (No. 9); and Amsterdam, Netherlands (No. 10).
“European destinations have made a significant effort to welcome Americans back, and our data shows tremendous pent-up demand for travel to the continent," said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA.
The study also found that 75% of travelers headed to Europe will spend seven days on vacation (11% are planning eight-day trips), and May 27 will be the most popular day to travel, kicking off Memorial Day weekend.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published April 13, 2022, and was updated on April 21, 2022, to include the Top 10 Summer European Destinations review.
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