Every Country’s Top Travel Destination
In a world full of places offering breath-taking views, cultural experiences, and unique attractions, it can be hard to decide which destination is perfect for your next trip away.
We wanted to discover the most popular cities and countries to travel to, according to Google searches for flights, hotels, and vacations in the last 12 months, to reveal each country’s top travel destinations.
Ranking in first place in most countries, the Maldives is a popular travel location, beating out classic vacation spots like the United States, the Bahamas, and Mexico. The three most popular city breaks are all cities in the US: Las Vegas, New York, and Miami.
The Most Popular City Break Destinations Around the World
1. Miami | Top Travel Destination for 8 Countries
With its white-sand beaches, rich cuisine, and Cuban towns, Miami is the ideal city destination for vacation lovers. Known worldwide for its diverse and lively nightlife scene and the iconic crystal blue waters of South Beach, it’s no surprise that Miami is the most popular city travel location across all the countries we looked at.
Miami ranks in first place for Google searches related to flights, hotels, and vacations in eight countries, including the neighboring Latin American nations of Argentina, Peru, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
2. Dubai | Top Travel Destination for 7 Countries
Home to the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in the world, endless opportunities for shopping, and intriguing history, Dubai attracts millions of visitors every year.
Out of all the popular vacation cities on our list, Dubai has the most Google searches for flights, hotels, and vacations in seven countries, including Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and Ireland.
3. London | Top Travel Destination for 5 Countries
Home to world-famous landmarks like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye, London is one of the most visited cities in Europe. Events including London Fashion Week, Notting Hill Carnival, and the London Film Festival are annual reminders of the city’s status and popularity among visitors.
Of all the countries we looked at, London ranks as the most popular city destination in five nations, including the UK, Greece, Sweden, and Iceland.
3. New York | Top Travel Destination for 5 Countries
New York is in joint third place, and it’s easy to see why the city is so popular among tourists all over the world. Characterized by its neighborhoods, from Chinatown to Little Italy, each with a distinct atmosphere, culture, and personality, there is a rich cultural diversity to be found throughout NYC.
New York ranks as the most popular city break destination in five countries that we looked at, including France, Italy, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
The Most Popular Country Break Destinations Around the World
1. Maldives | Top Travel Destination for 9 Countries
One of the hottest travel destinations this year, the Maldives ranks as the favorite country vacation spot in nine countries that we looked at, including the USA, France, and Finland.
Famous for its blue waters and countless white-sand beaches, for residents in the Maldives every day must feel like a vacation. Visitors to the island have the opportunity to swim with sharks, dive in coral reefs, and witness the bioluminescent waters first-hand, making it a popular destination for honeymoons and family vacations.
2. Malta | Top Travel Destination for 4 Countries
Malta ranks in second place, as the top country travel destination in four nations we looked at, including the UK and Germany.
Malta’s sunny weather and rich history make it one of the world’s most popular countries to vacation to, surrounded by Mediterranean waters and sandy beaches. With a number of hotels in the city and activities such as scuba diving and rock climbing, its popularity among international visitors is no surprise.
3. New Zealand | Top Travel Destination for 2 Countries
In joint third place with Cyprus, New Zealand is the most popular country travel destination in New Zealand and Australia.
Millions of tourists flock to cities like Queensland each year, to see attractions such as Lake Wakatipu and Coronet Peak. With around 30% of its land area classified as protected conservation areas, the natural diversity of the country makes it one of the world’s best places to visit.
3. Cyprus | Top Travel Destination for 2 Countries
The small island of Cyprus is one of the top tourist destinations according to Google searches from countries around the world. Cyprus is the most-Googled country destination for flights, hotels, and vacations in Poland and Greece.
Popular for family holidays and honeymooning couples, Cyprus is famous for its nightlife and rich cuisine, making it one of the top vacation spots in the world.
The Most Popular City Break Destinations in the World
1. Las Vegas | 9,688,600 Google searches
Known worldwide as a playground for tourists, Las Vegas is in the first place as the most popular city travel destination in the world. Museums, casinos, and nightclubs are essential to the lifestyle of ‘Sin City’ and draw in millions of visitors from the States and all over the world.
In the last twelve months, there have been 9,688,600 Google searches worldwide for flights, hotels, and vacations to Las Vegas.
2. New York | 8,743,600 Google searches
One of the most well-known cities in the States, featuring as the location of countless movies and TV shows, it’s no surprise that New York is one of the most popular vacation cities in the world. Home to the Met Museum, Central Park, and Empire State Building, visitors from all over flock to NYC to witness the iconic sights.
In the last year, there have been 8,743,600 total worldwide Google searches for flights, hotels, and vacations to New York.
3. Miami | 6,528,700 Google searches
The third US city in our top three, Miami is one of the world’s favorite city vacation breaks. The sunny South Florida city is full of Cuban culture and gorgeous beaches, so it’s no wonder the world loves this vacation spot.
In the last twelve months, there have been 6,528,700 Google searches from all over the world for flights to, hotels in, and vacations to Miami.
The Most Popular Country Travel Destinations in the World
1. Maldives | 2,457,200 Google searches
The Maldives island is one of the most luxurious travel destinations in the world, known for its gorgeous beaches and virtually year-long summer weather.
As the top country travel destination in the world, there have been 2,457,200 Google searches in the last year for flights, hotels, and vacations to the Maldives.
2. India | 1,478,300 Google searches
In second place, India is one of the world’s most popular countries to travel to, receiving 1,478,300 worldwide Google searches in the last 12 months for flights, hotels, and vacations to the nation.
Unique attractions such as the Taj Mahal, Golden Temple, and yoga retreats make India one of the top-visited countries in the world. Of the 1,478,300 Google searches in the last year for travel to India, 1,052,000 were searches for ‘flights to India.
3. Singapore | 1,224,500 Google searches
Singapore is known for its modern skyscrapers and world-class restaurants, drawing in millions of visitors each year both for vacations and business trips to the trading and investment capital.
Over the last 12 months, there have been 1,224,500 worldwide Google searches for flights, hotels, and vacations to Singapore, of which 945,000 were for ‘hotels in Singapore’.
Methodology
We wanted to find out the most popular cities and countries to travel to in the world, and the most popular city and country travel destination in every country.
We used Google Keyword Planner to source the total number of Google searches for ‘flights to’, ‘hotels in’, and ‘vacations to’ every country in the world and 65 of the most popular city vacation destinations.
The total number of searches for flights, hotels, and vacations from February 2021-January 2022 was recorded.
Where each country’s favorite country holiday destination was the home country, this result was removed from the ranking.