The Top 10 Cities for Summer Travel, According to Marriott Searches

Interest in travel is picking up as the pandemic winds down and vaccination rates continue to increase. All signs are pointing toward a leisure travel rebound ahead of what’s expected to be a busy summer season.  

More and more people are getting on flights for the first time in more than a year. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to hit post-pandemic records. On June 20, TSA screened 2.1 million passengers—350% higher than the same time in 2020.

While that is still about 22% lower than the same day in 2019, the market for domestic air travel in the US could return later this summer, according to travel analytics company ForwardKeys, whose data shows confirmed bookings returning to 2019 levels in the first week of August.

Fourth of July travel is also expected to rebound to near pre-pandemic levels. AAA Travel released its annual Fourth of July travel forecast, finding that 47.7 million Americans are planning trips this Independence Day weekend, a significant 40% increase from the 34.2 million that traveled last year, and is just 2.5% fewer than the record-setting 48.9 million that traveled in 2019.

After flocking to destinations that lent to social distancing, such as National Parks, what’s popular now is traveling to American cities and domestic beach locales. Cities that emptied out during lockdown are bustling once again, ready to welcome visitors. Restaurants, bars, museums, amusement parks, and sports arenas are open.

A survey by market research firm Destination Analysts found that of the 75% of American travelers who say they will be taking a leisure trip this summer, 40% are heading to cities—nearly double 2020.

Marriott this week shared the “Top Search Destinations” from Marriott.com, searched from May 14, 2021, to June 12, 2021, giving insight into where Americans are looking to head over the summer months.

The top ten destinations indicate that Americans are becoming more comfortable returning to major cities and tourist destinations around the country.

Here’s the ranking:   

1. Orlando, Florida
2. New York, New York
3. San Diego, California
4. Atlanta, Georgia
5. Chicago, Illinois
6. Miami, Florida
7. Los Angeles, California
8. Nashville, Tennessee
9. Las Vegas, Nevada
10. Boston, Massachusetts