The European Travel Commission (ETC) carried out its annual survey, Long-Haul Travel Barometer, and interviewed a total of 1,000 Americans about their preferred vacation destination for the remainder of the current year.

A distinct trend emerged from the survey, revealing that American travelers have expressed an increasing preference for Estonia instead of Sweden and Switzerland.

The results further revealed that this spike is 5%, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Meanwhile, a significantly lesser number of Americans are making plans to visit the other two countries.

Survey results

On average, respondents from the US mentioned that they wanted to visit two to three destinations on trips in the near future.

This pattern was found to be consistent with trends that were observed in autumn travel seasons in the last couple of years.

Typically, travelers from America tend to favor locations that are situated in the Mediterranean and Western areas of Europe.

In addition, American visitors, especially those visiting the continent for the first time, tend to spend the majority of their time in coastal areas or on the beach.

Chosen locations

As per the Long-Haul Travel Barometer, 34% of the respondents said that they would want to visit France before the year comes to an end.

Closely following behind was Italy, which is a preferred destination for 29% of the survey respondents.

Meanwhile, 20% of the Americans interviewed said that they wanted to visit the UK, while Spain was the preference of 18% of the people.

Germany was also on the list of the most favored destinations, with 16% of American tourists planning a trip to the country.

Greece managed to win over 12% of the 1,000 people interviewed, while Austria was favored by 9% of the travelers.

Ireland, Denmark, and Portugal trailed behind on the list of preferred vacation destinations, with only 6% of tourists wanting to visit these countries.

On the other hand, despite its growing popularity, Estonia was only the choice of vacation destination for 5% of the respondents, along with Turkiye and Belgium.

Diverse interests

Along with preferred destinations, the Long-Haul Travel Barometer included interests as part of its survey questions.

Consequently, travelers from America, who are planning to visit Europe before the year is out, were asked about the reasons they wanted to visit the continent.

31% revealed that they wanted to visit European countries to indulge themselves in their rich history and culture.

Meanwhile, 28% of the travelers said that they want to immerse themselves in the daily lives of the people of Europe, which is why they opted for slow travel.

City life activities, such as beach relaxation and street art, appealed to 28% of the respondents, while nature exploration and gastronomy experiences were chosen by 23% of the travelers.

Where transportation preferences are concerned, 53% of American visitors want to take a flight out to Europe.

On the other hand, 34% said that they would want to travel to and from the continent via trains.