According to new data from the Allianz Partners’ 2023
European Holiday Destination Index, the number of Americans heading to Europe
for the holidays has increased significantly compared to 2022.
The leading travel insurance and assistance company found
that American
travel to Europe this holiday season is up by 21 percent compared to 2022,
and destinations such as Barcelona are seeing increases of up to 61 percent.
Even Allianz Partners’ summer travel survey found trips to
Europe had increased by 55 percent in 2023 over the previous year indicating
that American travel to Europe continues to grow at a furious pace. Europe
continues to benefit from pent-up travel demand as “revenge” travelers book
bucket list trips to the continent.
Allianz Partners USA reviewed more than 1.3 million travel
itineraries across the peak holiday travel period highlighting the season’s
most popular European destinations for 2023. Roundtrip flights departing from
United States airports between Wednesday, November 22, 2023, and Thursday,
January 4, 2024, were also considered.
Americans continue to be enchanted by London, England’s city
lights and festive holiday markets with the city holding onto its number one
spot since the survey’s inception in 2016.
Paris, France, consistent in second place anticipates it
will also see a high number of U.S. travelers. Destinations such as the Iberian
Peninsula will experience a significant increase in visitation with a notable
rise in American travel to Madrid, Spain (37 percent), Barcelona, Spain (61
percent) and Lisbon, Portugal (47 percent).
Other notable increases include Prague in the Czech Republic
(51 percent), making its way back into the Top 20 for the first time since
pre-pandemic levels in 2019, as well as Geneva, Switzerland (12 percent),
cracking the top list of destinations since its last appearance in 2017.
“The continued rise in Americans traveling internationally
for the holidays proves there’s still plenty of catching up to do when it comes
to checking off their European bucket list,” said Daniel Durazo, director of
external communications at Allianz Partners USA.
“Travel insurance for international trips,” he added “should
be on everyone’s pre-trip planner to help protect against unexpected covered
events as well as medical emergencies while traveling. Travel insurance can
provide reimbursements for covered unexpected travel mishaps like travel
delays, trip cancellations or interruptions, lost baggage and medical
emergencies, and 24/7 travel assistance can help with many travel-related
problems.”
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