The Most Popular Summer Travel Destinations for Americans This Year

Americans are in search of sunny destinations this summer. Travel insurance and assistance company Allianz Partners analyzed more than 1,175,000 summer flight itineraries between five and eight days in length and found that Orlando tops the list of domestic destinations for travelers this summer, while Cancun will be the most-visited international spot.

The Florida hub has long been a favorite getaway for Americans, in particular as the gateway to its world-famous theme parks. Walt Disney World is in the midst of an 18-month celebration of its 50th anniversary called the "The World's Most Magical Celebration," with two nightly spectaculars (one at Magic Kingdom, the other at Epcot) and favorite Disney characters dressed up in sparkly "EARidescent" costumes. Those looking for a different kind of magic can head over to the Universal Orlando Resort's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was added in 2019, while those looking for more of a roar can hop on the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, which opened last summer. Also new is the Peppa Pig Theme Park within Legoland Florida Resort that just opened in February.

Orlando also offers easy access to the Space Coast with the state's largest manatee and sea turtle habitats, as well as the chance to step inside Kennedy Space Center, and maybe even catch a space launch. And of course, there's so much more to Orlando, including a thriving arts and culinary scene. It's no wonder it surpassed New York City as the most visited city in the country just before the pandemic.

A mix of city and beach destinations followed in Allianz's study, with the top 10 rounded out by Seattle, Honolulu, Kahului, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland, and Denver. Additionally, the data showed that 75 percent of Americans will travel domestically this summer, up 16 percent from last year.

For those ready to use a passport, destinations in close reach in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean will be the most popular this summer, with Cancun coming out on top. Known for its perfect white-sand beaches stretching into turquoise waters, the calm of the scenery is enhanced with plenty of outdoor activities among the area's jungles and mangroves, as well as a thriving nightlife scene.

Cancun was followed by San José del Cabo, Mexico; Oranjestad, Aruba; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; Providenciales Islands, Turks and Caicos; Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Liberia, Costa Rica.

"While it's no surprise that Americans are planning to kick back and relax in sun-soaked destinations both domestically and internationally, U.S. cities that were once buzzing tourist destinations pre-pandemic, like Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, are seeing a significant return of travelers this summer as well, signaling a positive step in tourism recovery," Daniel Durazo, Allianz Partners' director of external communications, said in a statement sent to Travel + Leisure.

To come up with the top destinations, the company looked at the data from flights and packages with its partners offering Allianz Global Assistance for travel between May 27 and Sept. 6, 2022.