Top 2018 European Summer Travel Destinations
Top 2018 European Summer Travel Destinations
We find that baby boomer travelers are always interested in what’s hot as it relates to travel destinations.
When I saw this piece from our friends at Allianz Global Assistance USA on the top 2018 European summer travel destinations, I thought I would share it as a very large percentage of our clients and readers are interested in European travel.
The big mover on the list is Reykjavik, Iceland, moving from 17th place last year to 3rd place in 2018.
Here’s the article from Allianz Global Assistance USA:
“London and Paris continue to be the most popular European destinations for American travelers this summer, but the remaining spots on the Top 20 list saw significant movement from 2017, according to an analysis* by Allianz Global Assistance, a leading travel insurance provider. This year, Reykjavik, Iceland jumped from 17th to third, Barcelona, Spain slipped from fifth to seventh and Nice, France cracked the Top 20 for the first time to come in at 11th.
Allianz Global Assistance reviewed trips planned during the 2018 summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, revealing that the number of American travelers visiting Reykjavik has grown significantly in the last few years. Ranked 28th in 2015, the destination cracked the top 20 in 2016 and 2017, when it ranked 16th and 17th, respectively. Thanks in part to increased direct airlift from the U.S. to the island nation, Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes and colorful city homes have been trending on social media in recent years. Despite talk of over-tourism and discussion to potentially limit the number of annual visitors to the country, Reykjavik’s popularity continues to rise this summer.
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Barcelona’s fall in rankings from fifth in 2016 and 2017 to seventh in 2018, may have been caused by several recent incidents. In the last year, Barcelona experienced a terrorist attack in the popular Las Ramblas area; political turmoil as Catalonia attempted to cede from Spain; and organized street protests in Barcelona, where residents who are vastly outnumbered by visitors expressed concerns about over-tourism and preserving their way of life.
Nice lands on the list for the first time, with nearly 2 percent of the analyzed trips flying into the city in Southern France this summer. This suggests that American perception of the city’s safety has recovered from the 2016 terrorist truck attack during the city’s Bastille Day celebration.
“More and more Americans are flocking to Reykjavik, Iceland this summer, along with other new popular summer destinations like Nice,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Regardless of whether you’re traveling to a longtime favorite or new hot spot in Europe, it’s important to protect yourself and your travel investment with a travel insurance policy. In these uncertain times, travel insurance can assist in the case of trip cancellations and delays, medical emergencies and more. For instance, it may be important to find a policy that covers cancellation for a terrorist attack occurring at your destination prior to your arrival.”
The top 20 destinations in Europe for summer travel are led by London, United Kingdom (19.9 percent); Paris, France (15.6 percent); and Reykjavik, Iceland (7.6 percent); followed by Rome, Italy (7.1 percent); Amsterdam, Netherlands (6.6 percent); Dublin, Ireland (6.1 percent); Barcelona, Spain (4.7 percent); Athens, Greece (3.0 percent); Madrid, Spain (2.8 percentage); Frankfurt, Germany (2.2 percent); Nice, France (2.0 percent); Zurich, Switzerland (2.0 percent); Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1.8 percent); Milan, Italy (1.7 percent); Munich, Germany (1.6 percent); Prague, Czech Republic (1.5 percent); Venice, Italy (1.5 percent); Berlin, Germany (1.4 percent); Copenhagen, Denmark (1.3 percent); and Florence, Italy (1.1 percent).”
Well, did you find a destination on the list that needs to come to the top of your bucket list? Carol and I have yet to visit Iceland and I’m beginning to think that it is high time we fix that problem.
Travel Tip: As you can see, Iceland has become very popular these days, and finding a hotel room in the busy summer months has become a real problem. Therefore, book well over a year in advance, try to avoid the busy summer months, and perhaps even consider a visit by cruise ship.
For more information about booking a fun Iceland or European journey, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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