After the covid-19 vaccination drive speeds up, the world is moving towards normalcy leaving the travel restrictions behind, Now Americans are ready to travel and making up for a lost time by booking their dream vacations. Based on a new survey conducted by Hilton, 59% of respondents plan to jump back into travel with a bucket list vacation they would not have considered prior to the pandemic. The top locations included international and domestic landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, the Colosseum in Rome, and the Las Vegas Strip.
“The results show both international and domestic destinations are at the top of Americans’ wish lists for their next vacation,” said Jenna Hackett, global brand head, Curio Collection by Hilton. “It’s no surprise 30% strongly agree they will book a dream vacation that they normally wouldn’t have considered—our guests are looking for those authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences, especially after more than a year without making travel memories.”
A domestic travel state of mind
Given many are transitioning from staycations to dream vacations, survey respondents felt domestic travel was their best shot at a bucket list trip. In fact, 57% of those surveyed said they would be more comfortable traveling within the U.S. for their first post-pandemic vacation. The top U.S. cities Americans plan to visit include Honolulu (29%), New York City (25%), Las Vegas (24%)
Additional cities on the survey takers’ travel wish list:
- Los Angeles (selected by 21% of respondents)
- Miami (selected by 20%)
- New Orleans (selected by 20%)
- San Francisco (selected by 19%)
- San Diego (selected by 18%)
Global destinations
While many plan to stay stateside this year, there was still a large desire for eventual overseas travel. European countries topped the international wish list, with Italy being the most popular destination at 26%, followed closely by the U.K. (24%), France (20%) and Greece (18%).
As travelers consider specific cities they want to explore, Rome was the top choice with nearly 27%. Paris and London were close seconds at 26% and 25%, respectively.
Additional international wish list travel destinations:
- Venice, Italy (23%)
- Sydney (22%)
- Dublin (20%)
- Tokyo (18%)
- Barcelona (17%)
- Amsterdam (17%)
- Madrid (16%)
Travelers also are ready to go all-in on their dream vacation: 30% said a top priority would be booking an all-inclusive vacation.
The survey also found that nearly half of respondents (49%) said they used the pandemic as an opportunity to save up more money for a dream vacation they have always had on their wish list, while 55% said they plan to spend more than they usually would on their next trip since they haven’t traveled in a while: an average of $2,173.11.
