As we barrel towards Memorial Day, I'm giddily blocking out dates on my calendar for summer travel. At last, so many options seem more feasible than they did at any time over the last two long years of heavy travel restrictions.
And I'm far from alone. According to recent Google Search and Flights data for 2022 so far, travelers across the US are feeling the same pent-up demand and are ready to hit the road — and the skies — this summer.
Searches made between January and mid-April 2022 showed that travelers are ready to make up for lost time and go all out on travel. Search interest in "luxury hotels" elevated above 2019 levels, and searches for "luxury hotels near me" was more than double what Google data showed in early 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Still, travelers continue to embrace nature and wide-open spaces, with Yellowstone National Park ranking high in interest, as well as Disney World, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Similarly, for summer travel dates between June and August 2022, Orlando was the top-searched destination. Other cities like Las Vegas, my perennial favorite, and New York also cracked the top five.
But unlike last summer, when many border restrictions created barriers, this year, international travel is now very much an option. The same Google data also showed that two international locations made the list of top-searched travel destinations this summer, with Cancun at No. 2 and London at No. 4. Correspondingly, search interest in "passport appointments" increased 300 percent over the first four months of 2022, according to the data.
Inspired by these trends, as well as upcoming anticipated events this summer, I compiled a list of the best domestic and international destinations to consider for summer 2022 travel.
