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Travel insurance comparison website InsureMyTrip unveiled its inaugural Summer Travel Guide on Monday, revealing a handful of insightful travel trends ahead of the summer season.
Through customer surveys and data analysis, the 2015 Summer Travel Guide sheds light on a number of different trends, including America's top international destinations and accommodation preferences.
InsureMyTrip's data reveals that Europe is the most popular international summer destination among American travelers, with the U.K., France and Italy topping the list for travel between June 2015 and August 2015. However, given the strength of the U.S. dollar, that's not all that surprising.
The Caribbean and the Netherlands round out the top five.
Meanwhile, a survey of 230-plus U.S. travelers who either researched or purchased travel insurance within the past 18 months revealed that 82 percent are planning a summer vacation in 2015.
Twelve percent of respondents have yet to lock in plans while six percent have no plans at all.
Similarly to those planning a vacation this summer, 82 percent of respondents prefer to book their trip more than 30 days in advance, compared to 15 percent who prefer to book just a few weeks ahead of time.
The survey showed that only three percent favor planning trips on a whim.
While cheaper gas prices will incentivize driving this summer, roughly two-thirds (67 percent) of those travelers plan to fly to their destination. And when they get there, hotels will be their number one choice for accommodation, with 42 percent of respondents in agreement, according to InsureMyTrip's survey.
Cruise ships (25 percent) and vacation rentals (18 percent) ranked second and third respectively, while one in 10 respondents singled out staying with family or friends as their preferred means of accommodation.
Only four percent cited a timeshare as their No. 1 option.
During vacation, 50 percent of travelers will prioritize sightseeing, while nearly one-quarter (23 percent) will look to hit the beach or relax. Spending time with loved ones (13 percent) and eating out (three percent) were also among the most popular activities.
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