{"id":790,"date":"2024-11-21T09:20:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T01:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/these-destinations-are-trending-for-2021\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:00","slug":"these-destinations-are-trending-for-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=790","title":{"rendered":"These destinations are trending for 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic dominated the global conversation \u2013 and rightfully so. But even as the world struggled to cope with COVID-19, that urge to explore didn\u2019t just disappear, and now, as vaccines begin to roll out in the US and abroad, travelers are optimistic about returning to a peripatetic lifestyle in the new year.<\/p>\n

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In research conducted across the board, frequent fliers reported fantasizing about future travel while they were confined to quarters, and it was that sense of escapism that helped them get by. In response to a Booking.com survey comprising nearly 21,000 people across 28 countries, a massive 94% of US travelers said they spent time in lockdown looking for vacation inspiration, while an Airbnb survey of 1000-plus US adults revealed that more than a third daydreamed daily \u2013 or even more frequently \u2013 about the places they\u2019d go when restrictions eased.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur research also shows that despite the uncertainty that continues to pervade people\u2019s lives, the more they stay at home, the more the thought of getting out gives them confidence in the future,\u201d Airbnb said in a press release. \u201cWhen asked how planning for a future trip makes them feel, the most selected answer by respondents was simply: hopeful.\u201d Here are six destinations trending for 2021.<\/p>\n

\"A
Between its gorgeous beaches and luxe accommodations, Maldives makes for an alluring escape \u00a9 haveseen\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maldives<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Big-ticket trips were put on hold in 2020, but plenty of globetrotters are looking to compensate in the new year. In response to the Booking.com survey, more than half of US participants reported that lockdown inspired \u201ca heightened desire to see even more of the world,\u201d with 46% adding that they\u2019d be traveling more in the future to make up for lost time. Vrbo\u2019s 2021 trend report also revealed travelers\u2019 plans to hit the road more than they did pre-COVID, with 33% of respondents saying they were now willing to spend more than they would\u2019ve been before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Enter: the luxurious resorts of Maldives. In surveys and search results alike, the remote archipelago famed for its pristine beaches and lively underwater ecosystem is trending high. Named the top destination for 2021 by Club Med per Google search data, it also made Expedia\u2019s list of the most-searched destinations for 2021, coming in at number 11, with the island of Maafushi, part of the Kaafu Atoll, featuring on Airbnb\u2019s list of top trending destinations based on search results for travel in 2021.<\/p>\n

\"Italy's
Known for its thermal spas, among other things, the volcanic island of Ischia is one of Airbnb’s top trending destinations \u00a9 LeoPatrizi\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Italy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As far as classic locales go, Italy\u2019s powerful pull shows no signs of lessening. Airbnb\u2019s survey revealed a keen interest in the volcanic island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, and according to recent data from Club Med, Sicily has become even more popular than it was this time last year, with bookings at the company\u2019s all-inclusive resorts in Kamarina and Cefal\u00f9 increasing at 214% and 350%, respectively.<\/p>\n

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“We’re seeing a trend in ‘bucket list bookings’ for destinations like Egypt, Greece, and Italy,\u201d Christian Wolters, chief marketing officer for TourRadar, tells Lonely Planet. The online marketplace for multi-day tours saw a huge spike in reservations on Black Friday \u2013 a 600% increase over 2020\u2019s bookings up to that point \u2013 primarily driven by US customers eager to get back overseas. \u201cIf 2020 taught us anything as travelers, it’s to not take travel for granted,\u201d Wolters says. \u201cI think the pandemic has jolted a lot of frequent travelers and it has motivated them to cross off those bucket list locations while they still can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Arch
Four of Expedia’s top 20 destinations for 2021 can be found in Mexico, including Cabo San Lucas \u00a9 Joe Petraglia\/500px<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mexico<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After months of indoor living, it should come as no surprise that some of the most in-demand destinations involve warm weather and white-sand beaches \u2013 and America\u2019s neighbor south of the border has plenty of both in ample supply. Priceline\u2019s booking data reveals a significant increase travel to Mexico, with hotel bookings up 113% in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to last year, and one-fifth of Expedia\u2019s top-20 most-searched destinations for 2021 travel can be found there as well: Canc\u00fan, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and collectively, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Tulum is also a crowd-pleaser for Airbnb users looking for a getaway close to home, and the quiet seaside town of La Misi\u00f3n, in Baja California, is one of the platform\u2019s top trending destinations.<\/p>\n

\"Seoul
Thanks in no small part to its pop-culture dominance, South Korea is piquing the public interest \u00a9 LeoPatrizi\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

South Korea<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Between last year\u2019s Academy Awards darling and a rapidly growing international fascination with K-pop and dramas, it\u2019s no wonder South Korea is trending for 2021. In its first-ever year-in-language report, the app Duolingo calls the phenomenon the Korean Wave, noting that the language is the second fastest growing in the world and the seventh most popular to study worldwide. As the country\u2019s capital and its biggest metropolis, Seoul is a cultural hub that balances fast-paced modern life with a reverence for tradition, whether that means sampling the soju<\/em> or paying your respects at one of the city\u2019s historic shrines \u2013 and it\u2019s also one of Airbnb\u2019s top-searched destinations for 2021.<\/p>\n

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\"Aerial
Road trips and outdoorsy destinations like the Great Smoky Mountains are both trending for 2021 \u00a9 rickberk\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Great Smoky Mountains<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As countries closed their borders and the State Department recommended Americans refrain from journeys abroad, domestic destinations enjoyed newfound favor \u2013 and with concerns surrounding the risks involved with air travel, road trips became more common than ever. Though research indicates that US travelers are more willing to consider an international flight now than they have been since the pandemic began, the road-trip trend looks set to continue in \u201821, with 59% of families surveyed by Vrbo saying they\u2019re more likely to drive than fly on their next trip and 62% of Airbnb\u2019s respondents saying they\u2019re interested in destinations within driving distance of home.<\/p>\n

And if said destinations are outdoorsy ones, so much the better. With the need for social distancing still going strong, places where travelers can get back to nature and enjoy activities like hiking, camping, and fishing have a particular allure, and to that end, protected lands like the Great Smoky Mountains \u2013 a perennial favorite, and one of Airbnb\u2019s top destinations for 2021\u2013 are set to trend in the new year.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial
Las Vegas tops the list of urban escapes for the second year running \u00a9 f11photo\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Las Vegas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While it\u2019s true that small towns and rural attractions became ever more appealing for safe and responsible excursions in 2020, urban escapes also have their fans. According to a Priceline analysis of hotel bookings from September 1 to November 30, 2020, as well as hotel searches on the platform during that same period, Las Vegas is the most popular destination for the first quarter of 2021 \u2013 for the second year in a row. Expedia\u2019s search data also has Vegas as the country\u2019s biggest urban draw, and even though 54% of the people surveyed for Vrbo said they\u2019d be more likely to visit a national park than an amusement park, both Expedia and Priceline name Orlando \u2013 home to Disney World and Universal Studios \u2013 as the runner-up.<\/p>\n

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