Athens ranks among the most popular international destinations for American travelers for the Memorial Day weekend, during which approximately 45 million Americans are expected to travel, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
According to the latest data from AAA, during this year’s three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend (the last Monday in May), a higher number of Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their place of residence. Approximately 39.1 million Americans will travel by car, while 3.66 million will fly—making air travelers account for 8% of the total travel share during this period. Meanwhile, around 2.2 million travelers will choose cruises, rail, or bus travel, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
Europe remains, once again, a top choice for American travellers for international trips during the period from Thursday, May 21 to Monday, May 25, with Rome ranking first among their preferred destinations. Vancouver follows in second place, Paris in third, London in fourth, and Athens completing the top five most popular destinations for this year’s holiday period. The top ten is completed by Dublin, Barcelona, Southampton, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh.
Athens’s inclusion in the Top 5 choices of American travelers for international trips represents a “vote of confidence” from the U.S. market in Greek tourism. This result has been achieved thanks to the strengthening of direct air connections between Greece and the United States, and serves as a prelude to this year’s summer tourism season.
The top destinations for the Memorial Day weekend in the United States are Orlando, Seattle, New York City, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Anchorage, Chicago, Denver, and Boston — all major cities and key travel destinations. Anchorage in Alaska and Seattle are also popular ports for the summer cruise season to Alaska.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans it is a three-day holiday,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. She added: “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many Americans continue to prioritize leisure travel.”
