More Americans heading to Europe for the holidays – Allianz Partners

American visits to Europe spike nearly 22%

By Ryan Smith

Nov 28, 2023 Share

The number of Americans planning to travel to Europe over the holidays has risen significantly from last year, according to new data from Allianz Partners.

The company’s 2023 European Holiday Destination Index showed that American travel to Europe has risen 21% over 2022, and destinations such as Barcelona have seen spikes of up to 61%.

American travel to Europe is also increasing outside of the holidays. Allianz Partners found that trips to Europe were up 55% this year over 2022, the company said.

London, which has been the most popular European holiday destination for Americans since the survey’s inception in 2016, held onto the top spot again this year. Paris, in second place, was also expected to see a high number of American travelers, Alliant said.

Some destinations will see significant spikes in American travel this holiday season – particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, with Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, expected to see hikes of 37% and 61%, respectively, while Lisbon, Portugal, is anticipating a 47% increase.

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Other projected increases for 2023 include Prague in the Czech Republic (up 51%), which has reclaimed a spot in the top 20 for the first time since 2019, and Geneva, Switzerland (up 12%), appearing on the list of top destinations for the first time since 2017.

“The continued rise in Americans traveling internationally for the holidays proves there’s still plenty of catching up to do when it comes to checking off their European bucket list,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. “Travel insurance for international trips should be on everyone’s pre-trip planner to help protect against unexpected covered events as well as medical emergencies while traveling.

“Travel insurance can provide reimbursements for covered unexpected travel mishaps like travel delays, trip cancellations or interruptions, lost baggage or medical emergencies, and 24/7 travel assistance can help with many travel-related problems.”

Allianz was recently recognized as the world’s leading insurer for the fifth consecutive year.

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