The United States is the most popular destination for luxury travel this summer.
That's according to the latest data from luxury travel leader Virtuoso, which analyzed more than $63.6 billion in transactions to reveal the most sought-after vacation destinations among affluent globetrotters.
Trailing the U.S. is a trio of European hotspots, including Italy, France and Spain. Canada rounds out the top five most popular summer travel destinations this year, followed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland and Portugal.
Virtuoso notes that it has seen a shift with more travelers using their passports this summer compared to last, with U.S. travel down 12 percent compared to last summer.
What's more, travelers are exploring off the beaten path, including the surf town of Biarritz, France, the wine region of Rioja, Spain, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way and the small town of Elounda on the Greek island of Crete. Virtuoso also points out that London remains a hit thanks to an impressive lineup of summer events, including Wimbledon (July 13-16), BBC Proms (July 19-September 9) and Fashion Week (September 15-19).
Luxury traveler in an infinity pool with a glass of wine. (photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/SHansche)
According to Virtuoso, bookings for 2023 are 91 percent higher than they were in 2019 leading into 2020 and 62 percent higher than in 2022. Meanwhile, bookings for Virtuoso's partner hotels are 193 percent higher than in 2019 and 77 percent in 2022. Hotel average daily rates (ADRs) for summer 2023 average nearly $1,700 per night, which is 69 percent more than in 2019.
Finally, cruising is also showing bookings 55 percent higher compared to 2019, Virtuoso found.
The future appears quite bright for Virtuoso and its network of travel agency members as a recent Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report study found that the target market of high-value travelers is expected to grow by 34 percent, exceeding 62 million worldwide over the next five years.
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