New Summer 2022 Travel Trends

Summer travel is expected to boom this year, with survey data predicting a steep rise in international travel in particular.

Data from Allianz Partners found that travel to Europe from the U.S. might soar as much as 600 percent from last year. While this surge still won’t break pre-pandemic levels, it does show that the road to travel’s recovery is getting smoother.

ADVERTISING

Around three-quarters of Americans heading to Europe are expected to spend seven days traveling, with an additional 11 percent expected to stay for eight days.

Analyzing over 40,000 flight itineraries for trips five to eight days long between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the travel insurer found that London comprises 22 percent of all bookings, with Paris, Dublin, Reykjavik, Rome, Edinburgh, Lisbon, Athens, Barcelona and Amsterdam comprising the top ten European destinations for the summer.

“The pandemic made people realize you can’t take travel for granted and many Americans are eager to visit Europe this summer,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. “European destinations have made a significant effort to welcome Americans back and our data shows tremendous pent up demand for travel to the continent. International travelers should always consider travel insurance plans that provide reimbursement for covered trip cancellations and medical emergencies that may occur while traveling.”

Domestic travel is also expected to be strong this year. A new survey by vacation rental platform Vacasa found that 63 percent of Americans are planning to travel this summer, with destinations near the water or or by national parks being the most popular, at 57 percent and 36 percent. It also found that three out of four travelers surveyed are going to stick to domestic travel this year.

Twenty percent of travelers surveyed expect to travel for longer than a week this summer, while the majority (52 percent) are planning a long weekend vacation. In the middle are 38 percent of travelers, who are planning a summer trip between five and seven days long.

While many expected Memorial Day Weekend to be an incredibly popular vacation time, Vacasa found that Fourth of July is when most travelers are expected to travel, with about 46 percent of travelers indicating they’d be traveling during that weekend.

A new survey conducted for Hilton by Wakefield Research asked 1,000 American adults about their summer vacation plans. More than half of the respondents who are pet owners are planning to travel with their pets this summer (55 percent), but the real trend is a focus on wellness activities or wellness-centric travel, which a whopping 98 percent of respondents said they prioritize.

Wellness can be immersive cultural experiences, unplugging from devices, reconnecting with friends and family or just focusing on eating well.

In conclusion, travelers are expected to travel farther, stay longer and focus on relaxation, wellness and outdoor experiences this summer.

For the latest travel news, updates, and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.