We may have seen the last of the bitter winter, but Americans are taking no chances and heading south for Memorial Day weekend.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is the #1 trending destination for flight searches, up 59% compared to last Memorial Day. Our data also show that people are finding slightly lower airfares to the beach destination than last year.
Try San Jose, Costa Rica, for a Memorial Day weekend deal; the city saw the biggest drop in average airfare compared to all destinations, down 10% compared to last year. Some of the most in-demand destinations for the holiday weekend: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; Austin, TX and Savannah, GA.
We’ve seen an increased interest in international travel for the summer. In fact, the ten top trending destinations for summer travel are abroad. Thanks to a certain (protected trademark) international soccer tournament, demand for flights and hotels in Rio de Janeiro are blowing up, making it the #1 trending destination this summer for Americans. Who said the US doesn’t care about soccer?
A few additional highlights:
- Naples, Italy, is showing a strong comeback with an impressive increase in search queries. Have travelers stopped worrying that the city is dangerous?
- Searches for Canadian destinations have increased and overall airfares are lower than last year. Searches for flights to Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver increased 9-15%, with the added bonus of average airfare to Toronto dropping 7% and Vancouver 9% since last year.
- Finally, if you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Alaska, this summer is the time – Anchorage saw the biggest decrease in average airfare compared to last summer (8%), down to $594.
(Photo Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-59027p1.html)
(Preview photo cred: iStock.com/haveseen)
