Americans have a reputation for working long hours and taking minimal paid time off, but recent data from Hostelworld, an online hostel booking platform, found that Americans are prioritizing travel more than ever.
Hostelworld found a 54 percent increase in bookings made over a year in advance.
While carefully examining the bookings, analysts found that many backpackers are opting for adventures that will allow them to explore south Asian cuisine, visit beautiful mosques, and see the pyramids up close.
Here are the top five destinations for American backpackers and solo travelers, according to Hostelworld:
- Sri Lanka
- Turkey
- Egypt
- Indonesia
- Philippines
Hostelworld found that fitness activities are one of the primary drivers for travelers. More than 70 percent of U.S. travelers aim to be more active when on vacation than at home, and nearly half aim to get at least one workout in during their vacation.
“Americans see travel as an opportunity to escape the 9-5 grind, step out of their comfort zones and explore new and uncharted destinations,” said Catriona Flood, director of strategy and planning at Hostelworld. “It is no wonder then, that we are seeing such an uptick in long-lead bookings. Americans often receive less paid time off than workers in other countries and therefore treasure their paid time off and spend a lot of time planning their getaway to ensure that they are getting the best possible experience.”
Also, Hostelworld’s booking data revealed that Americans are not only researching fitness options but are also making more early reservations.
American bookings made over a year in advance increased by 54%, whereas long-lead bookings in Australia and the UK only increased by 17% and 4%.
According to researchers, this demonstrates a stronger desire to prioritize travel among Americans, in comparison to other countries.
Based on the year-over-year growth of bookings by American users, Hostelworld data indicates the following countries will be the hottest trending destinations for Americans in 2019:
- Sri Lanka
- Turkey
- Egypt
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- USA
- Iceland
- Israel
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Latvia
- Nepal
- Colombia
- Belize
- Japan
- Portugal
- Guatemala
- Canada
- Morocco