Despite flight fiascos, widespread strike action, and soaring temperatures, Western Europe remains hot for Americans this summer.
According to research conducted by the Mastercard Electronics Institute, the three countries that Americans will be visiting most this summer are all in Europe.
Those countries are Italy, Germany, and France.
Meanwhile, European travelers will be heading toward the UK, Spain, Italy, and the U.S.
Travelers from Latin America and the Caribbean will be most likely to visit the U.S., Spain, and Germany this summer.
And if you’re traveling from Eastern Europe or the Middle East then, according to Mastercard research, your preferred vacation destinations will be the UK, France, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
So why are Italy, Germany, and France so popular with American travelers this summer?
Italy
A survey of 2022 travel expenditure found that U.S. visitors were the top spenders in Italy. The total amount of money spent by Americans in Italy exceeded 7 billion euros.
Americans are choosing Italy because they feel that it is an interesting, welcoming, and safe destination.
As a result, Italy is expecting its biggest summer on record this year.
To monetize this, the Italian government is increasing ticket prices for many of the country’s most popular attractions. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, for example, has raised their ticket price from 20 euros to 25 euros per person.
And this week, visiting the Pantheon in Rome, which is one of the ancient world’s best-preserved monuments, is subject to an entry charge for the first time. Visitors will now pay 5 euros per person to enter the site.
This isn’t putting American travelers off, and crowding and overtourism remain a real problem in Italy this summer.
Several Italian hot spots have imposed a cap on tourist numbers to prevent overcrowding, as well as other measures, such as Portofino’s infamous selfie ban.
Despite this, Italy remains an inviting, culturally rich destination, as well as something of a homecoming for the 17.8 million Americans of Italian descent, and it’s easy to see why the country is so popular.
Germany
Germany is not an obvious summer vacation destination, but apparently, a huge number of Americans disagree.
The German National Tourist Office has established a long campaign to encourage travelers from the United States to visit the country this year, promoting their cultural attractions and commitment to sustainable travel.
With approximately 40 million Americans who claim German heritage, the most popular reason for visiting Germany for leisure trips is heritage travel, according to the German Tourist Board.
But even if you don’t have German heritage, there are many great reasons to visit Germany this summer.
The summer months between May and September are the peak tourism season in Germany.
Despite this, Germany offers visitors plenty of opportunities to get off the beaten track and isn’t victim to the same level of overtourism as countries like Italy and France.
And with monthly public transport travel passes available for just 49 euros, getting around Germany affordably and sustainably has never been easier.
France
There are a lot of stories being printed about whether France is safe for American tourists to visit right now. The country has spent a week in the grips of widespread riots, although these seem to be calming.
In addition to this, French Tourism Minister, Olivia Gregoire, has asked tourists to stay away from the country’s most popular tourist attractions in a bid to combat overcrowding and overtourism.
But this clearly isn’t making American visitors reconsider travel.
And while it’s true that Paris can be uncomfortably busy during the summer months, there is so much more to France than Paris.
Ask most American tourists why they choose to visit France, and they are likely to mention at least one of the following: the iconic landmarks, the world-class art and architecture, and the sensational food.
You can find these attractions across the entire country.
Many Americans are being drawn to the iconic Riviera of the South of France this summer. The beautiful coastlines here have long attracted wealthy Russian vacationers, but sanctions mean that they will be notably absent this year, and the crowds won’t be as considerable.
