The holiday preferences and plans of U.S. travellers for the warmer months have seen an inclination towards beach retreats, with 70 percent of Americans planning to visit coastal locations. Followed by city breaks (58 percent), national park and wilderness retreats (56 percent), mountain escapes (50 percent), and visits to rural towns and communities (42 percent). The travel demand data reflects these preferences as beach destinations rank eighth of the 10 most in-demand U.S. locations for summer 2024, with major cities taking all the spots in the list of the top-searched international destinations.

Among the criteria for Americans when travelling is the cost, reaming the key element in the location selection process, with almost a third (32 percent) stating that price is the most important factor in their choice of a holiday destination, preceding activities and experiences (25 percent) and weather (19 percent).

In addition to the aspects above, sustainability, as well as spending, is a top determining factor when it comes to Americans’ choice of a holiday destination, with 39 percent travelling to locations closer to home this year taking into consideration climate change. By looking at holiday plans for this summer in comparison to last year, Americans will be journeying on average 518 miles less to reach their destination, covering 1,180 miles in 2024 versus 1,698 miles in 2023.


The Top 10 International Destinations for Americans:

  1. London, UK
  2. Paris, France
  3. Barcelona, Spain
  4. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  5. Dublin, Ireland
  6. Rome, Italy
  7. Málaga, Spain
  8. Edinburgh, Scotland
  9. Vancouver, Canada
  10. Lisbon, Portugal


Despite being the closest European capital to the United States, Lisbon has only recently received a significant number of American travellers, but it rises every year. There are now several direct flights from New York/JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, and word of mouth tells of a city with an authentic charm, fascinating history and scenic beauty, as well as attractions with a particular appeal to Americans, including those who are not among the 1.5 million with Portuguese ancestry.


2024 Summer Travel Trends

One of the season’s defining trends and holiday motivations has been identified as “Gig-tripping”, with 41 percent of Americans travelling to attend music events, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the leading top reason. Following the announcement of the singer-songwriter’s European shows in June 2023, cities such as Lyon, Dublin, and Liverpool registered astonishing search increases of 174 percent, 195 percent and 669 percent respectively for holiday rental stays around the performance dates.

Sports fans are also getting in on the travel action, as 43 percent of Americans indicated they would like to take a holiday to visit a sporting event in the summer of 2024, notably for the UEFA EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics. HomeToGo registered a +122 percent year-on-year search increase for holiday rental stays in Paris during the dates of the big games, between July 26 and August 11.

Outside arenas and stadiums, Americans will be embracing the outdoors in the summer of 2024, with almost half (49 percent) stating that they have adventure tourism planned for the season. Silent, celestial and psychedelic trips are also on the agenda, with 47 percent of U.S travellers eager to visit tranquil destinations for unplugged experiences, 35 percent indicating an interest in astrotourism, and 32 percent intrigued by the idea of travelling to experience psychedelics safely or legally.