Sicily is not the only European destination to be crowded with tourists ahead of the peak summer season in July and August. After three years of pandemic restrictions, record numbers of travelers are flooding into Europe despite high airfares, limited accommodation, sweltering heat and crowded venues. .
According to Hopper’s “Summer Travels to Europe” report, Europe is the most popular destination for American travelers this year. Demand is already above 2019 levels, the report said, even as hotel prices have soared and airfares are at their highest in five years. London, Paris, Rome, Lisbon and Athens are among the most booked cities on the Hopper travel app, while Palermo, the Sicilian city featured in ‘The White Lotus’, is one of the top trending destinations .
“We have to make up for lost time,” said Elizabeth Hughes, 44, an occupational therapist from Chicago. She put together a scrapbook of places she wanted to visit in Europe during the pandemic. She is currently in London, starting a four-week itinerary that will take her through eight countries, including France, Italy and Greece. “I had to sell my car to get this done, but if I’m going to travel this far, I’m going to go anywhere,” she said.
Demand was so high that many travel advisors were forced to turn away customers trying to book vacations in popular European destinations in July and August due to availability.
“Two weeks ago, we had a last-minute request to Greece and contacted our suppliers to see if there was a way to accommodate them. But there was nothing, so unfortunately we had to decline the deal.” said Abby Lagman, founder of US-based travel agency Blissful Travel Company.
