Europe Returns to No. 1 Destination for US Travelers for First Time Since Covid-19

Europe Returns to No. 1 Destination for US Travelers for First Time Since Covid-19

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. July 13, 2021 — For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, more US travelers are heading to Europe than any other destination.

According to travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.com, May marked the first month Europe regained its spot as the top destination for US tourists, with 22% of bookings. By June, this rose to nearly 30%, the highest percentage of sales in 13 months.

Historically, US travel to Europe far outweighed any other destination. As much as 46% of sales on Squaremouth.com have been for European travel. At the height of the pandemic, this dropped to less than 6%.

Ongoing border closures and quarantine requirements sent travelers to countries easier to visit, or kept them stateside. Former popular destinations, like Spain, France, Italy and the UK, fell to Caribbean countries, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Turks and Caicos, and the Virgin Islands.

While travelers are booking trips to Europe now, most don’t plan to travel until 2022. Squaremouth reports as many as 54% of travelers are heading to Europe next summer, the highest percentage they’ve ever recorded.

Squaremouth’s Top 10 International Destinations

202120202019
MexicoMexicoItaly
Turks and CaicosCanadaCanada
Costa RicaUnited KingdomMexico
IsraelBahamasFrance
GreeceUS Virgin IslandsUnited Kingdom
ItalyAustraliaSpain
FranceJamaicaGermany
IcelandGermanyIsrael
SpainArubaJapan
GermanyIsraelIreland

For regularly updated information about Covid-19 and travel insurance, please visit our Covid-19 travel insurance information hub.

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Notes to editors

Available Topic Expert: Steven Benna, inhouse data specialist is available for comment and interview. sbenna@squaremouth.com (727) 619-7262

Research Methodology: Squaremouth.com hosts the largest number of travel insurance providers and policies that offer coverage related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Squaremouth Analytics studied data from thousands of policies purchased between 5/1/2021 and 7/12/2021. If you would like a copy of the raw data, please get in touch by emailing media@squaremouth.com.

Other Relevant Research:

About Squaremouth: Squaremouth.com has insured over 3 million travelers. Using Squaremouth’s intuitive quoting and comparison engine, award-winning support team, and verified customer reviews, travelers can save time and money to find the best travel insurance policy for their trip.