US tourist destinations indicate return to normalcy this spring break
As borders remain open after the pandemic, traveller behaviour is taking a familiar turn, as US spring breakers return to popular pre-Covid destinations in Europe
Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.com, analysed spring break trip data to reveal the current trends that could indicate the return of normalcy in travel.
Historically, Italy has been the second most popular international destination for US tourists, according to Squaremouth.com, before falling out of the top 10 completely in 2020.
This spring break, Italy has started to regain its popularity, accounting for four per cent of trips booked on Squaremouth.com. Only Mexico (11.6 per cent) and the US (19 per cent) comprise a larger traveller share.
For the majority of the past two years, travel to Europe fell off the map, as a result of border closures and quarantine restrictions. This spring break, US tourists are returning to Europe for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
Italy, France and Spain popular destinations
In addition to Italy, France and Spain have also returned to the top 10 destinations list. These countries were previously replaced by Caribbean destinations, including the US Virgin Islands, Aruba and Jamaica, which remained widely accessible throughout the pandemic.
Travellers remained closer to home during spring break months throughout the pandemic, with domestic travel comprising almost 90 per cent of trips in 2020.
However, while domestic travel has decreased, it is still significantly higher than pre-pandemic years. This year, 23 per cent of spring break trips are remain ‘stateside’, compared to 13 per cent in 2019.