London has retained the top spot since 2016, with Paris following closely. Credit: tovovan via Shutterstock.

New data from the Allianz Partners’ 2023 European Holiday Destination Index has revealed a 21% increase in American travel to Europe during this holiday season compared to the previous year. 

Trips to popular European destinations such as Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan and Prague have experienced significant spikes. Barcelona leads with a 61% surge. 

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Continued growth in American travel to Europe

Allianz Partners’ summer travel survey further underscores the trend, reporting a 55% increase in trips to Europe in 2023 compared to the previous year. 

The surge is attributed to pent-up post-pandemic travel demand as “revenge” travellers embark on long-awaited “bucket list” trips to the continent.

The analysis considered roundtrip flights departing from US airports to European destinations between 22 November 2023, and 4 January 2024 involving partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance.

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Top destinations and notable increases

By analysis of more than 1.3 million travel itineraries during the peak holiday travel period 2023, Allianz Partners USA has identified the season’s most sought-after European destinations.

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London maintains its allure, retaining the top spot since 2016, with Paris following closely. However, the Iberian Peninsula experienced a significant boost, with notable increases for Madrid – up 37%, for Barcelona – up 61%, and for Lisbon – up 47%.

Prague also made a strong comeback with a 51% rise, while Geneva saw a 12% increase, marking its return to the top list after its last appearance in 2017.

Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA, emphasised in a statement: “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.”