Allianz Partners Media Release: AMERICAN TRAVEL TO EUROPE DASHES TO NEW HEIGHTS FOR 2023 HOLIDAYS
29 Nov

Trips to Prague, Milan, Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid and London are up significantly

Richmond, Virginia, November 21, 2023 – The number of Americans heading to Europe for the holidays is up significantly compared to last year, according to new data from the Allianz Partners’ 2023 European Holiday Destination Index. The leading travel insurance and assistance company found that American travel to Europe this holiday season is up by 21% compared to 2022, and destinations such as Barcelona are seeing increases up to 61%.

American travel to Europe continues to grow at a furious pace. Allianz Partners’ summer travel survey found trips to Europe increased by 55% in 2023 over the previous year. Europe continues to benefit from pent-up travel demand as “revenge” travelers book bucket list trips to the continent.

Allianz Partners USA reviewed more than 1.3 million travel itineraries* across the peak holiday travel period to highlight the season’s most popular European destinations for 2023. Roundtrip flights departing from United States airports between Wednesday, November 22, 2023, and Thursday, January 4, 2024, were considered.

Download chart image HERE.

Americans continue to be enchanted by London, England’s city lights and festive holiday markets, holding onto its number one spot since the survey’s inception in 2016, with Paris, France, anticipated to see a high number of U.S. travelers as well in its consistent number two position. Some destinations will experience a significant increase in travelers this year, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, with a notable rise in American travel to Madrid, Spain (+ 37%), Barcelona, Spain (+ 61%) and Lisbon, Portugal (+ 47%). 

Other notable increases this year include Prague in the Czech Republic (+ 51%), which made its way back into the Top 20 for the first time since pre-pandemic levels in 2019, as well as Geneva, Switzerland (+ 12%), cracking the top list of destinations since its last appearance in 2017. 

“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,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. “Travel insurance for international trips should be on everyone’s pre-trip planner to help protect against unexpected covered events as well as medical emergencies while traveling. Travel insurance can provide reimbursements for covered unexpected travel mishaps like travel delays, trip cancellations or interruptions, lost baggage and medical emergencies, and 24/7 travel assistance can help with many travel-related problems.”

Allianz Partners offers travel insurance through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, hotel companies, cruise lines and directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz and available travel policies, please visit http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/.

# # #

*Methodology: The data of U.S. travelers’ 2023 European travel plans was gathered by analyzing the number of travelers that went through the online booking process of airfare and package paths for partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance to generate itineraries for roundtrip flights departing from U.S. airports to European destinations between 11/22/23-1/4/2024. In total, 1.3M itineraries were analyzed using this methodology.

Press contacts

FINN Partners
Robin Magrisi / [email protected]
Megan Derks / [email protected]                              

About Allianz Partners
In the United States, Allianz Partners USA (AGA Service Company) offers Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans and serves millions of customers each year. In addition to travel protection, the company offers event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. AGA Service Company is doing business as Allianz Global Assistance Insurance Agency in California (License # 0B01400) and Massachusetts. Allianz Partners USA is part of the Allianz Partners group. Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C insurance and assistance, offering global solutions that span international health and life, travel insurance, mobility and assistance. Customer driven, our innovative experts are redefining insurance services by delivering future-ready, high-tech, high-touch products and solutions that go beyond traditional insurance. Present in over 75 countries, our 19,400 employees speak 70 languages, handle over 58 million cases each year, and are motivated to go the extra mile to offer peace of mind to our customers around the world.

For Allianz Partners USA products offered and sold in the U.S.: Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. Availability of coverage, including the epidemic-related benefits and covered reasons described here, varies by product and by state. Products may not include all benefits or covered reasons described here. All benefits are subject to maximum limits of liability, which may in some cases be subject to sublimits and daily maximums. Benefits and limits vary by plan. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your specific plan, carefully review your plan’s Letter of Confirmation/Declarations and Certificate of Insurance/Policy. Insurance coverage is underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: Richmond, VA), rated “A+” (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101‐C series or 101‐P series, depending on state of residence. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best’s 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Except as otherwise specified, AGA Service Company d/b/a Allianz Global Assistance is the licensed producer and administrator of Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans in the U.S. and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. Allianz Global Assistance is a mark of AGA Service Company or its affiliates. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between Allianz Global Assistance and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance and assistance services. Noninsurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by Allianz Global Assistance.