After the winter holiday season, Valentine’s Day offers couples the first chance of the year to truly reconnect with a romantic trip. And it appears Americans are looking for a little extra love and attention in 2023 after experiencing the stress and strains of the pandemic for the past three years.
According to the latest “Top Valentine’s Day Destinations” study from travel insurance provider Allianz Partners, travel arrangements for the romantic holiday have increased by 45 per cent since last year.
Based on an analysis of over 700,000 roundtrip flights departing U.S. airports between early to mid-February, 71 per cent of the itineraries reviewed are for domestic trips, and 29 per cent are for international ones, which the travel insurance and assistance company indicated is typical for this season.
The research also disclosed the top domestic and international travel destinations for Valentine’s Day. And it seems that one thing that hasn’t changed this year is the kind of location that couples are selecting for their romantic getaways, preferring sunny areas with beaches.
Couples are traveling to the consistently popular Florida cities of Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, which took the top three slots on the list of domestic U.S. destinations. Honolulu and Kahului (Maui), two Hawaiian paradises, round out the top five, followed by major cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Denver.
Beach vacations are in high demand for international travel, with Americans favoring Mexican seaside resorts like Cancun, San Jose del Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta, which took first, second, and third place, respectively.
The remaining top 10 travel destinations are all in the Caribbean (or nearby), including the warm climates of Oranjestad, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, and—for the first time in the ten years that Allianz has been evaluating Valentine’s Day travel plans—St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Providenciales follow these in Turks and Caicos, San Jose in exotic Costa Rica, and Liberia.
“Love is indeed in the air this year, with flight itineraries soaring around the Valentine’s Day holiday,” says Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. “For those who choose travel over chocolate and roses, it’s important to consider purchasing travel insurance to protect pre-paid travel investments from unpredictable events like trip cancellations or interruptions, travel delays, and baggage issues.”
Do you have any industry knowledge, experience, or news you’d like to share? Why not send us your press releases, survey results, news, and articles? We will publish them here on the IHS website. Just complete the contact form and get in touch.