Stats Show How Much Overseas Tourism Skyrocketed This Summer
It's not just your Instagram feed. Overseas tourism has skyrocketed this year.
All three major U.S. airlines are seeing a significant jump in demand for flights this summer, with trans-Pacific travel more than doubling since last year after many Asian countries finally lifted long-standing COVID-19 travel restrictions, CNN reports.
Trans-Atlantic travel to Europe is also up, with prices hitting a reported $1,200 per ticket (up 12 percent from last year). According to the CNN report, London, Paris, Rome, and Dublin are top destinations.
This lines up with a May study from Delta Air Lines, which identified London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and Athens as the five most sought-after European destinations for would-be summer travelers. That study also targeted Cancun, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Los Cabos, Mexico; and Punta Cana, Domincan Republic, as major destinations for the summer.
Related: The 17 Best Overwater Bungalows and Water Villas in the World
Some of these cities are less than happy about the tourists flocking to them. A recent study found that Dubrovnik, Croatia, stands as Europe's most over-touristed city, with an annual tourist-to-resident ratio of 36:1. Other cities on the list included Venice, Italy; Bruges, Belgium; and Rhodes, Greece.
According to CNN's report, overseas spending is also up. MasterCard reported that customer spending outside the U.S. stood at 154 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Still, domestic travel has not shown signs of weakening, meaning more Americans are traveling in general as many return to pre-pandemic habits or make up for time lost to COVID shutdowns.
Summer's not over yet, so get out there while you can.