Travel data by Allianz Global Assistance Reveals Edinburgh Climbs, Germany and Greece Slip in Rankings
Richmond, Va., May 2, 2019 — For the fifth year running, London and Paris are the two most popular summer destinations for Americans traveling to Europe. Great Britain’s capital city tops the list and will welcome one out of every four European trips reviewed by Allianz Global Assistance, which is an increase of five percentage points since 2018.
Despite concerns of overtourism, Reykjavik’s popularity with Americans endures as the city holds steady at #3 for the second year in the row. England continues to attract U.S. travelers, despite facing uncertainty with the stalled Brexit discussions between Britain and the European Union. Emerging destinations include smaller but vibrant United Kingdom cities like Manchester, England (#17) making its debut. This year, Edinburgh, Scotland (#8) climbs up from #13 last year and #16 in 2017, while Brussels, Belgium (#19) is back on the list for the first time since 2015.
Paris holds on to the number two spot for Americans’ summer travel to Europe this year, despite ongoing civil protests across France, and in the wake of destruction to a historic landmark, Notre Dame. German destinations are on the decline, with both Munich (#20) and Frankfurt (#15) falling five spots from last year, and Berlin (#21) edged out completely, perhaps in part due to negative publicity on geopolitical issues. Similarly, travel to Athens, Greece continues to drop year over year. The city went from the #4 most popular European summer destination in 2017, to #8 in 2018 and #12 this year.
Allianz Global Assistance, a leading travel insurance and assistance company, reviewed trips planned for travel from the United States to Europe from May 25 – September 3, 2019. More than half (55 percent) of Americans traveling to Europe this summer will stay for seven days.
The top 20 destinations are: London, United Kingdom (25 percent); Paris, France (13.3 percent); Reykjavik, Iceland (12.3 percent); Dublin, Ireland (6.8 percent); Rome, Italy (4.6 percent); Amsterdam, Netherlands (4.2 percent); Barcelona, Spain (3.7 percent); Edinburgh, Scotland (3.3 percent); Madrid, Spain (3.1 percent); Lisbon, Portugal (2.7 percent); Milan, Italy (2 percent); Athens, Greece (1.9 percent); Nice, France (1.5 percent); Zurich, Switzerland (1.5 percent); Frankfurt, Germany (1.4 percent); Prague, Czech Republic (1.1 percent); Manchester, United Kingdom (1.1 percent); Venice, Italy (1 percent); Brussels, Belgium (1 percent); Munich, Germany (.9 percent).
“Summer is peak season for Americans to visit Europe, and while major cities like London and Paris remain popular, we see travelers going beyond the traditional in recent years, exploring lesser-known destinations like Manchester,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Delayed flights or missed connections, lost luggage and unexpected illness or injury can happen anywhere and anytime, even on a long-awaited holiday. The right travel protection policy can assist in protecting your investment and taking some of the stress out of travel hiccups.”
As one customer with travel plans to Europe, who purchased their insurance through a major U.S. airline, said, “We had to cancel our trip to the UK because of illness. I filed a claim with Allianz and they settled it within a couple days.”
Another benefited from their policy while traveling to Barcelona and plans to buy again for an upcoming Paris trip: “This is the third time I have used Allianz…the first two there were no claims. So when I filed a claim this time for an illness in Barcelona, I was apprehensive. But the experience was awesome. I’m going to Paris in April and will use your insurance again. It is a comfort to have it.”
Allianz Global Assistance offers travel insurance** through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, and other travel suppliers, as well as directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz Global Assistance and the policies offered for travelers, please visit:
http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com.
*Methodology:
The data of U.S. travelers’ 2019 Summer traveling plans was gathered by analyzing the number of travelers that went through the online booking process of airfare for partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel to generate itineraries for roundtrip flights from US airports to Europe during the Summer season (5/24/19 to 9/3/2019) for trips between 5-8 days in length.
| Destination | 2019 Rank | 2018 Rank | 2017 Rank |
| London | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Paris | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Reykjavik | 3 | 3 | 17 |
| Dublin | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Rome | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Amsterdam | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Barcelona | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Edinburgh | 8 | 13 | 16 |
| Madrid | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Lisbon | 10 | N/A | 15 |
| Milan | 11 | 14 | 13 |
| Athens | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Nice | 13 | 11 | N/A |
| Zurich | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Frankfurt | 15 | 10 | 9 |
| Prague | 16 | 16 | 20 |
| Manchester | 17 | N/A | N/A |
| Venice | 18 | 17 | 10 |
| Brussels | 19 | N/A | N/A |
| Munich | 20 | 15 | 12 |
Allianz Global Assistance USA
Allianz Global Assistance USA is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company with operation centers in 35 countries. In the United States, Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company) serves 40 million customers annually and is best known for its Allianz Travel Insurance plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for property and casualty insurers and credit card companies.
To learn more about Allianz Travel Insurance, please visit allianztravelinsurance.com or Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllianzTravelInsuranceUS.
**Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your 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. Allianz Travel Insurance products are distributed by Allianz Global Assistance, a brand of AGA Service Company or its affiliates. AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Noninsurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by AGA Service Company.