RateHawk Reveals Americans' Summer Travel Preferences

Last updated: 5:00 AM ET, Sat June 7, 2025

WHY IT RATES: RateHawk reports that American travel advisors are booking more frequent domestic trips within driving distance, favoring 3- and 4-star hotels due to lower fuel prices, while outbound trends show growing interest in remote seaside and mountain destinations in Europe, influenced by enhanced transatlantic connectivity. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Managing Editor

RateHawk, a B2B online system for booking hotels, air tickets, and transfers by travel professionals, reports the most popular destinations booked by American travel advisors for the Summer Season 2025. The company highlights the growing interest in domestic trips within driving distance, as well as remote seaside and mountain destinations in Europe.

Traditionally, a significant share of U.S. travelers opt for domestic destinations. New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Diego, New Orleans, and Chicago are the top choices for Americans planning to spend their summer holidays within the country.

Ronald Fenska, Regional Director of North America at RateHawk, said: “Instead of one big trip, this year domestic travelers take more frequent, shorter getaways like long weekends – the average length of stay is 3 nights. The growth of domestic bookings is also accompanied by an increasing interest in midscale hotels, specifically those with 3 and 4 stars, and their share of all bookings has increased by 8%. There is also an increased interest from the travel advisors’ customers in smaller cities and vacation areas within driving distance of major U.S. cities, like Sedona (AZ), Jackson (WY) or Cape May (NJ). This trend is boosted by lower fuel prices, according to AAA.”

The top 10 outbound destinations this summer include Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland. The average transaction value for accommodation bookings is $1163 for 3 nights, with a significant share of bookings in 4-star hotels in the most popular destinations.

European destinations take a significant share of bookings among American travel advisors. It is fueled by enhanced transatlantic connectivity with new flights launching in summer 2025.

Taking advantage of the peak beach season, American travelers opt not only for urban trips in popular European capitals but also for more remote seaside destinations, including Torremolinos and Benalmadena (Spain), Sorrento (Italy), Mykonos Island (Greece), Southampton (UK) and Galway (Ireland). Additionally, American travelers are eager to explore hiking spots, such as Zermatt and Grindelwald (Switzerland), reflecting an emerging trend towards outdoor escape and "coolcation" experiences.

“At RateHawk, we help travel advisors adapt to changing customer preferences and seasonal trends by offering a carefully selected and extensive inventory," said Fenska. "In total, we provide over 2.7 million properties from 320 global suppliers and 130,000 directly contracted hotels. Travel advisors can choose from various accommodation options, ranging from boutique hotels along the Mediterranean coast to authentic mountain chalets near spectacular hiking trails. This enables advisors to offer personalised services and create memorable vacation experiences for their clients.”

SOURCE: RateHawk press release