Croatia among most-googled destinations in the world for a holiday

Pag (Photo: Mate Melege)

Official-esta.com has analysed Google Search Volume data to reveal which countries people are looking to travel to for a holiday. Official-esta.com has analysed Google Search Volume data for the search terms “Flights to X” and “Holidays in X” to establish which countries we are searching for the most, based on annual global search volumes. 

Italy comes out top as the world’s most-googled destination for post-lockdown holidays, with almost 1.94 million (1,939,440) annual global searches. 

Following in second is The Maldives, with an average 1.8m (1,798,680) global annual searches, with Mexico third with 1.7m (1,722,360) searches. 

Thailand, Spain, Canada and Greece also rank among the top 10 most searched destinations. 

Croatia comes in 14th place, with 810,000 global annual searches. 

Official-esta.com

With travel restrictions now easing and making it possible for people to head abroad on holiday once more, many people are now looking for the perfect destination to squeeze in a late summer holiday, or are planning ahead for 2021.

With a variety of locations to choose from, ranging from traditional European breaks on the Mediterranean to long-haul holidays with more tropical climes, the choices for holidays are endless.

Italy comes top for post-lockdown holidays

Despite being one of the epicentres of the pandemic in Europe earlier in the year, Italy is revealed as the destination we are searching for the most when it comes to our next trip abroad, with over 1.9m (1,939,440) average annual global searches. Among those searching for holidays in Italy, more than 27,100 average monthly searches come from the United Kingdom, followed by the United States (4400 average monthly searches).

Exotic holiday destinations still rank highly 

The Maldives (1,798,680), Mexico (1,722,360) and Thailand (1,654,320) all appear among the top five destinations, despite the flight times all lasting around 12 hours. 

China makes it into the top 15, ahead of New Zealand, despite COVID-19 case numbers.

China may have been the original epicentre and source of the COVID-19 virus, but that seemingly hasn’t put tourists off visiting the country. With more than 1m (1,077,840) average annual global searches, China ranks above many other popular destinations including Croatia, the Philippines and Barbados. Looking at the numbers of those searching for holidays and flights to China, residents of the United States are those searching the most, with 41,900 average monthly searches, followed by those from the United Kingdom (11,700 searches), Canada (5200 searches) and Australia (4000 searches).

Although New Zealand has seen relative success with their management strategies over the last few months and has been seen as one of the safer countries, the nation comes in 12th with 1,056,120 average annual global searches. 

Jayne Forrester, Director of International Development at Official-esta.com comments: 

“With the last few months throwing both our lives and the travel industry into unchartered territory, it’s natural that some people may be rather apprehensive about returning to normal life and travelling as we were before. With destinations around the world closing their borders, travel hasn’t been an option, but with these borders now re-opening, it’s great to see that even countries that were among the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including China and Italy, are being considered for holidays in the near future. 

“It’s crucial that we begin to travel again, in order to generate revenue for the companies within the travel and tourism sector and ensure that we minimise any further job losses in the industry. As a result, we must find a balance between enjoying our travels and doing so in a safe and responsible manner, to prevent any further waves of the COVID-19 virus.”