Richmond, VA, April 13 2021 — This year, Americans are making up for lost time, according to Allianz Partners' Top 10 Summer Destinations review. After last summer’s vacation plans were largely scuttled due to the pandemic, Americans are regaining confidence in 2021 and planning trips to Florida, Hawaii and the Caribbean.

The travel insurance and assistance company analyzed more than 985,000 flight itineraries* for trips between five and eight days in length and for the fifth year in a row, found that Orlando, Florida and Cancun, Mexico are the most popular domestic and international destinations for 2021 summer travel.

For the first time in the survey’s history, four of the top 10 domestic destinations are in Hawaii with travel-deprived Americans saying ‘aloha’ to Maui (#2), Honolulu/Oahu (#3), Kauai (#7) and the Big Island (#8). Newcomer Anchorage, Alaska’s (#5) inclusion on the Top 10 domestic list reinforces that America’s love of the great outdoors and wide-open spaces will continue in 2021.

Internationally, Mexico appears three times on the Top 10 list; Cancun (#1) is followed by San Jose del Cabo (#2) and Puerto Vallarta comes in at ninth place. Additional Caribbean destinations completing the Top 10 include Aruba (#3), Puerto Rico (#4), U.S. Virgin Islands (#5), Jamaica (#6), Turks and Caicos (#7), Dominican Republic (#8) and the Bahamas (#10).

The pandemic has also seemingly impacted Americans’ trip length preference, with many favoring longer getaways over quick jaunts. The travel insurance and assistance company found almost two-thirds (59%) of travelers are taking seven-night journeys and one in four (37%) are opting for six nights away, compared to 2019 when four-night getaways were the most popular choice (30%), giving rise to the 'micro-cation trend.   

Whether headed on an international beach getaway or visiting a smaller metropolitan city (Seattle, #4; Las Vegas, #6; Boston, #9; Miami #10), it’s important to understand and follow safe travel rules and regulations. Remember to take photos of vaccination cards and test results, save them on your phone and make physical copies. Keep copies in a few different places and laminate one; in the case of a vaccine card, don’t laminate the original, as you may need to document future booster shots on it.  

“For those who are vaccinated, Summer 2021 will be a welcome return to travel after a very long lockdown. For those who won’t yet be vaccinated or who are traveling with unvaccinated children, it’s important to protect your trip with a travel insurance plan that includes coverage for COVID-related illnesses,” said Daniel Durazo, director of marketing and communications for Allianz Partners, USA. “Allianz has rolled out temporary accommodations and permanent enhancements to some of our products that cover travelers if they become ill with COVID either before or during their trip.  As we begin to turn the corner back to normalcy, some unexpected situations can still pop up and it’s important to have access to 24/7 travel assistance that can help consumers navigate travel disruptions and find local attractions and accommodations.”

Although Allianz travel insurance products generally do not cover known, foreseeable, or expected events, epidemics, government prohibitions, warnings, or travel advisories, or fear of travel, Allianz Partners USA recently announced the rollout of its new Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, which adds enhancements for new purchasers of some of its travel insurance products that may provide coverage to customers who become ill with COVID-19 or a future epidemic, are individually ordered to quarantine,** or are denied boarding due to a suspected illness. This new coverage formalizes and adds to some of the temporary accommodations the company put into place in March 2020 to assist travelers who had been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Allianz Partners offers travel insurance through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies and directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz and the policies offered for travelers, please visit:  http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com

**Benefits for quarantines only apply when an eligible traveler is specifically named and individually ordered to quarantine by order or official directive of a government, public regulatory authority, or the captain of a commercial vessel on which that eligible traveler is booked to travel during the covered trip, based on that eligible traveler’s exposure to COVID-19. The benefit does not cover travel restrictions (whether or not they are referred to as “quarantine”) that apply generally or broadly (a) to some segment or all of a population, geographical area, building, or vessel (including without limitation shelter-in-place, stay-at-home, safer-at-home, or other similar restriction), or (b) based on to, from, or through where the person is traveling. Coverage may not cover the full cost of your quarantine and is subject to applicable benefit limits. See your plan for details.