Island getaways appear to be top of mind among U.S. travelers. InsureMyTrip has reviewed data using Google search trends to find out which destinations U.S. citizens are planning to visit once restrictions have been lifted and five of the top 10 are islands.
The most searched destination in the U.S. is the Maldives, which received 18,100 searches during the stay-at-home order as a result of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The archipelago of over 1,000 islands is popular for its remoteness, tranquil beaches and luxury properties. The state with the highest contribution of searches for the Maldives is California, followed by Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania. The destination is planning to reopen July 1.
Greece is second on the list with 14,800 searches during April, which was influenced by a high contribution of searches by Texas. Additionally, there were 11 states in total that picked Greece as their top choice for a post-pandemic visit. Good to know: Recently, Greece announced that there will be no 14-day quarantine for inbound travelers to the country this summer.
Fiji and Costa Rica tied for third, each recording 9,900 Google searches over this period. The full list is as follows:
- Maldives (18,100)
- Greece (14,800)
- Fiji (9,900)
- Costa Rica (9,900)
- Bahamas (8,100)
- Mexico (6,600)
- Jamaica (6,600)
- Aruba (6,600)
- Thailand (5,400)
- Italy (4,400)
Three destinations are in the Caribbean (Aruba, Bahamas and Jamaica). With North America accounting for 53 percent of its visitors in 2019, according to InsureMyTrip, it’s clear the islands are still a favorite with the U.S. population. Interestingly, the Dominican Republic does not make the top ten, even though 29 percent of the recorded U.S. visitors traveled to the island last year, InsureMyTrip adds. It is rated the 20th most desired country to visit. Jamaica, however, was the second most visited Caribbean island in 2019, accounting for 12 percent of U.S. visitors, and seems to have held onto its popularity. It is in the seventh position for the most Googled.
While it remains an expensive option, it is reasonable to assume the social distancing has influenced travel daydreams to include indulging in luxury and tropical islands with pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. With that said, it seems Americans are not just interested in sunny climes once travel restrictions are lifted either. Delving further down the list, Thailand and Italy round out the top 10, while Iceland, Switzerland, Ireland and Japan also make the top 20.
Source: InsureMyTrip
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