Latest news with #TravelTrends
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Revealed: Where Americans most want to visit in Europe
When it comes to European vacations for Americans — Greece is the word. Searches for the country by US users on a luxury villa rental site increased by 350 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. Oliver's Travels revealed that Greece is No.1 in its search-growth ranking, followed by Croatia (searches up 83 percent), France (40 percent), Portugal (25 percent) and Italy (12 percent). The rental company said: "Greece is showing a big spike in interest, while Croatia's rise suggests growing appeal, possibly among family or luxury travelers." But when it comes to where Americans are actually booking vacations, it's France that comes top, accounting for 32 percent of bookings. Italy follows close behind, with 28 percent of bookings, and the UK and Spain both account for 10 percent each. As for where in France Americans most want to visit, it's Normandy that's currently the hotspot, with searches in 2025 up 600 percent compared to 2024. Umbria in central Italy is also popular, with searches up by 400 percent. The rest of this list comprises the Costa Blanca in Spain (400 percent), "rising star" Istria, Croatia (350 percent), and the Dordogne in France (250 percent). Oliver's Travels notes that Normandy and the Dordogne are booming and suggests that this could be because Americans are becoming more interested in slower, countryside escapes. However, the most popular region for actual bookings is Tuscany, with other favorites including Provence-Alps, the Loire Valley and Languedoc in France, and Puglia in the south of Italy. The most-booked Oliver's Travels villas by Americans are Chez Le Vigneron in Languedoc, France; Casale Eleganza in San Gimignano, Tuscany; and Palais D'or in France's Loire Valley. Oliver Bell, Co-Founder and Owner of Oliver's Travels, said: "We're thrilled to see the continued enthusiasm from our US travelers for our French villas, with France remaining the most popular destination. "The timeless appeal of the French countryside and its rich culture clearly resonates. At the same time, we're excited to witness growing interest in Greece and Croatia, which have both seen significant increases in enquiries compared to last year. These destinations offer stunning coastlines and unique experiences that perfectly complement the evolving preferences of our US clients. We look forward to helping more travelers discover these beautiful locations in the coming seasons." Trending European countries for US travelers — 2025 vs 2024 Greece — searches up 350% Croatia — 83% France — 40% Portugal — 25% Italy — 12%
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Where Canadians Are Traveling This Summer Now That They're Avoiding the US
Following President Trump's pointed rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state—and his implementation of steep tariff hikes—Canadians have started redirecting their vacation plans away from the US. What's missed in the punch lines prompted by Trump's 51st state talk is that Americans' northerly neighbors represent its largest international visitor market, representing some $20.5 billion in spending each year. It's no surprise that other countries are extending a warm welcome to Canadian tourists with hopes of cashing in. Canadians are traveling more this summer than they did last year—just not to the US. According to data from Statistics Canada, the government's data-crunching agency, they have logged 10% more flights to overseas countries in the first five months of 2025 than they did in 2024. In that same period, they also curbed their flights to the US by 20%. Car trips across the border have declined by 35%, leaving US border towns ravaged.
Hospitality Net
19-05-2025
- Hospitality Net
TripAdvisor Announces Cancun & Las Vegas as the Top Destinations For Travelers with Release of Annual Summer Travel Index
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, predicts a busy travel season according to the brand's annual Summer Travel Index, released today, with 63% indicating excitement for the upcoming travel season. Tripadvisor's Summer Travel Index uncovers the top and trending summer destinations for 2025, with the most popular locations from 2024 still leading the way again for US travelers such as Las Vegas and Cancun. Now trending for summer 2025 are cities including Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Punta Sam, Mexico which topped the list. New data from the report also shows that Gen Z and Millennials are 38% more likely to travel both domestically and internationally compared to Gen X and Boomers. Summer Travel Index: 2025 Top Summer Travel Destinations This year's data indicates that US travelers are looking for a blend of bustling city activities and laid-back beach vacations for their summer travels both internationally and domestically. Top global summer travel destinations for US citizens include: Cancun, Mexico Paris, France London, United Kingdom Top domestic summer travel destinations for US citizens include: Las Vegas, Nevada New York City, New York Myrtle Beach, South Carolina For all destinations that top the Summer Travel Index for American travelers, see below. — Source: TripAdvisor For international trends, four of the top ten trending destinations for US travelers are in the Caribbean, with 51% of travelers citing that their primary reason to travel is to relax and rejuvenate. While Florida dominates the list of trending domestic locations for US travelers with four inclusions on the top ten list, remote areas like Big Sur and Moran, Wyoming are trending as 38% of travelers seek to enjoy nature on their summer travels. For all trending destinations that top the Summer Travel Index for American travelers, see below. — Source: TripAdvisor Opting for Experiences Activities and experiences are a top priority for travelers of all ages, with 83% reporting that it's an important part of their travel budget. Most travelers (89%) are planning up to five activities. Gen Z respondents are more likely to book six or more activities compared to older age group respondents (14% versus older age group average of 9%). Similarly, Gen Z and Millennials are leading the charge on those most likely to travel in general. While every generation prioritizes relaxation, older respondents do so more than younger ones: 56% of older generations (Boomers and Gen X) versus 47% for Millennials and Gen Z. Conversely, younger respondents are significantly more likely to want to have an adventure and explore different cultures than older generations. Summer travel is all about making memories with friends, family and loved ones – and planning those special trips is a highlight of the year for so many travelers. Whether it's exploring the unique cultural sights of a new country, playing and relaxing on a beach, or booking an outing like a guided tour or boat ride, taking advantage of local experiences while traveling helps make memories that will last a lifetime. Tripadvisor reviews can help guide travelers to find the best of the best experiences to round out their trip. Hilary Fischer-Groban, Head of Research & Insights at Tripadvisor It's All in the Plan Planning ahead with a travel guidance platform like Tripadvisor helps ensure travel plans run smoothly and that experiences go according to plan. In fact, 57% of travelers report that they will book activities ahead of their vacations, and Gen Z and millennials are 78% more likely to book on-trip activities in advance (71% vs 40% older age groups). While on their trip, Boomers are more likely to ask locals for recommendations (38%) while Gen Z are more likely to go to social media (51%) to round out their itinerary. The top trending experience categories for 2025 are cultural and themed tours, outdoor activities including things like hiking and horseriding, and cruises, sailing and water tours. Booking accommodations is also a factor in the planning process. Younger respondents (Gen Z and Millennials, 30% average) are more likely to stay in vacation rentals than older respondents (Gen X and Boomers, 21% average), who favor hotels. With experiences and stays available through Tripadvisor, planning your summer travels in one easy-to-use platform simplifies the scheduling process and lets users focus on their getaway , said Fischer-Groban. Tripadvisor's billion-plus reviews and contributions will help travelers decide how best to maximize their valuable vacation days. — Source: TripAdvisor Methodology The data cited in this release was gathered and analyzed from two key sources: A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 2,800 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between March 26, 2025 and April 8, 2025 across six countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Singapore, U.K. & U.S. Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform for searches made by travelers in the U.S., U.K. and Japan between February 1 - April 10, 2025 for travel between June 1 - August 31, 2025. * Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, May 2025 ** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files About Tripadvisor Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use Tripadvisor's website and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than a billion reviews and contributions, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP). The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps. View source
SBS Australia
14-05-2025
- SBS Australia
Australians are reportedly abandoning travel to the US. That's not the full story
The US has long been one of the most popular destinations for Australian travellers. Source: SBS News Safety concerns, a weak dollar, and border security are some of the issues reportedly contributing to a drop in Australians travelling to the United States. Recent media reports have suggested Australians are turning away from US travel, with data indicating fewer are visiting and planning trips compared with previous years. But new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) paint a different picture, and experts say current statistics should be taken with a grain of salt. So, are Australians really turning away from US travel, and what are the factors playing a part? According to preliminary data from the US government's International Trade Administration, there were 59,859 Australian visitors to the US in March. That's a 7.1 per cent drop from March last year, when 64,418 Australians visited the US. The Easter holiday period also fell in March in 2024 while this year, it was in April. This year to date, 201,867 Australians have arrived in the US, according to the data. That's about 1,500 fewer people than the corresponding period last year. But according to the latest data from the ABS, travel to the US appears to have slightly increased. The ABS' short-term resident returns for March 2025 tracked 55,870 Australians returning from the US, up from 50,650 for the same period last year. Professor Sarah Gardiner, director of the Griffith Institute for Tourism, said the difference in numbers is likely due to different methods of data collection. "A lot of our ABS data is done by our arrivals card, so when people come in through our entry points, international airports and so forth, it is tracked through that methodology," she said. "If they're [the US] using different types of tracking, maybe survey data or other data sources, there can be some variability in the data." Gardiner said the March travel data is not an accurate reflection of current issues. As well as the data already being months old, those travelling in March would likely have booked their trips much earlier, without knowing about current issues. "Things are changing quite quickly in terms of the situation, and so you've got a bit of forward booking in that system as well," she said. "So it's where it goes over the next few months that will be quite interesting to see if there is any impact." A national survey of 1,509 Australians aged 18 to 65 indicates fewer people were planning a trip to the US from 15 March to 15 May than the corresponding period 12 months ago. The quarterly poll, commissioned by the Tourism and Transport Forum, had the US as the fifth most popular international destination for autumn 2024, with 8 per cent of travellers headed there. The US slid to seventh on the list for this autumn, scooping up less than 6 per cent of Australia's overseas travel market. Sara Dolnicar, professor of tourism at the University of Queensland Business School, said she expects the numbers will rebound relatively quickly. Dolnicar said tourists are "very reactive" to world events and often base travel decisions around factors such as currency exchange rates, safety or security concerns, and environmental issues, particularly when travelling to far-away places like the US. "Travel is about adventure, but controlled adventure, so you don't want to really expose yourself to unnecessary risk," she said. "(Australians) might just be saying 'right now it doesn't seem stable enough for me to drag my family across there and not knowing what's going to happen',". She believes many Australians remain interested in travelling to the US, but may delay visiting until they feel more secure, particularly those who are putting trips off due to financial concerns. "Tourism is exceptionally resilient," she said. "My prediction ... is that it will bounce back because these are not dreams given up. They are deferred dreams or deferred aspirations of people." Dean Long, CEO of the Australian Travel Industry Association, said he believes interest in travel to the US has dropped in recent months. "The priced product in the US is very high when compared to the value that you can get across Southeast Asia in particular and even parts of Europe," he told the Australian Associated Press in April. "We think currency and value are the two things that are really driving that." In a briefing, Tourism Economics, a division of the United Kingdom-based economics advisory firm Oxford Economics, said policies and pronouncements from the Trump administration were contributing to a growing wave of negative international traveller sentiment toward the US. "Heightened border security measures and visible immigration enforcement actions are amplifying concerns," it said. "These factors, combined with a strong US dollar, are creating additional barriers for those considering travel to the US." According to the US International Trade Administration data, visitor numbers from countries other than Australia are also declining. According to the dataset, the United Kingdom — the US's top tourism-generating country — had a 14.3 per cent decrease in visitors compared with the previous year. Germany recorded a 28.2 per cent decrease, while the number of visitors from Spain and Ireland dropped by 24.6 per cent and 26.9 per cent respectively. Dolnicar said these reductions could be concerning for the US tourism industry. "If you think about the tourism industry ... globally it's about one in 10 jobs that's funded by the tourism industry and it's about 10 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product)," she said. "So if you have that kind of drop of numbers, that has immediate economic implications for a country." Some countries recorded modest increases, including Japan, Brazil and Italy, with rises of 3.6 per cent, 6.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively. — With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
Independent Singapore
08-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Chinese tourists flock to Singapore as travel trends shift
Photo: Freepik/ lifeforstock (for illustration purposes only). SINGAPORE: Singapore continues to draw strong interest from Chinese travellers, ranking among their top overseas destinations, according to fresh data from Alipay. The digital payments giant has seen a surge in activity from Chinese users abroad, offering a window into how travel habits are evolving. Along with perennial favourites like Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, Singapore remains a key stop for Chinese tourists. Further afield, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada also feature prominently on the list of most-visited countries. Rather than sticking to traditional group tours, many are opting for more personalised, local experiences. Spending patterns have also shifted, with more interest in local transportation, cultural activities, and niche experiences. Switzerland recorded the highest average spending per Alipay user, while in South Korea, the figure exceeded US$100 (around S$135), fuelled in part by a rise in medical tourism, especially for cosmetic treatments. Public transport is also gaining popularity among Chinese travellers. One of the most significant shifts highlighted in the report is the surge in spending on public transportation. Alipay reported a 53% year-on-year increase in transit-related transactions, reflecting a growing tendency among travellers to navigate destinations like locals. Public transport payments, especially in Hong Kong and Macao, have become the most frequently used Alipay service, with tourists increasingly taking subways and buses using the platform. Beyond East Asia, Chinese tourists are leveraging Alipay's features to navigate European countries as well, purchasing train tickets and using shared bicycles—particularly in Japan and across parts of Europe—via the app. Alipay's real-time tax refund service saw a noticeable jump in activity, as well, with a 33% increase in the average refund amount per transaction compared to last year. More travellers are also taking advantage of Alipay's instant discount offers, with uptake rising by a hefty 46% during the recent New Year's holiday period, indicating a more cost-conscious yet digitally savvy tourist demographic.
