Key Point
Americans are spending 11% more on international travel this summer than they will in 2023. Italy is the top international destination for 40% of the most populous states. 16% of Americans surveyed said they started buying travel insurance at the peak of the pandemic.
The vast majority of American travelers will head to Europe this summer, according to travel insurance data for June, July and August.
According to travel insurance comparison site TravelInsurance.com, US travelers are spending about 11% more on summer trips than they did last year. We analyzed the site’s data on sales in the US’s most populous states to see where Americans will be heading this summer and how much their trips will cost.
Most popular international destinations by state
Californians are jetting off to Italy this summer, Georgians are flying to Mexico and Minnesotans are heading to cool Norway. Where you travel each summer depends on a lot of factors, including your budget, whether you have paid vacation time and where you live, according to a new survey by TravelInsurance.com.
An analysis of data from the 25 most populous U.S. states found that Italy is the most popular international destination, ranking as the top destination in two out of five states. The United Kingdom came in a close second, ranking as the top destination in 36% of the states analyzed.
Virginians spend the most money on international travel, with residents prioritizing trips to Italy and Greece. The average cost of an international trip in the Old Dominion is $10,001. In fact, Virginia is the only state where international travelers spend an average of more than $10,000 on travel.
Missourians spend the least on international travel, likely due to lower airfares: Jamaica, not Europe, is the top destination for Missouri travelers.
The table below shows the top two most popular international summer destinations for the 25 states surveyed, based on travel insurance purchases. It also shows the average cost of international travel by state.
Arizona
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Germany. Average trip cost: $9,134.40. Fastest growing destination: French Polynesia, up 200% from 2023 onwards.
California
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, France. Average trip cost: $9,129.32. Fastest growing destination: Peru, up 525% from 2023 onwards.
Colorado
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Canada. Average trip cost: $9,882.16. Fastest growing destination: Croatia, up 600% from 2023 onwards.
Connecticut
Most popular international destinations (in order): Average trip cost: $7,962.40. Fastest growing destination: France, up 300% from 2023 onwards.
Florida
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico. Average trip cost: $8,888.57. Fastest growing destination: Japan, with a 360% increase from 2023 onwards.
Georgia
Most popular international destinations (in order): Mexico, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic. Average trip cost: $8,268.41. Fastest growing destinations: Tanzania and Austria, up 500% from 2023 onwards.
Illinois
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico. Average trip cost: $7,861.34. Fastest growing destination: U.S. Virgin Islands, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
Indiana
Most popular international destinations (in order): UK, Spain, Italy. Average trip cost: $8,329.47. Fastest growing destination: Hungary, 400% increase from 2023 onwards.
Louisiana
Most popular international destinations (in order): Mexico, United Kingdom, Greece. Average trip cost: $7,235.79. Fastest growing destinations: Spain and Portugal, up 300% from 2023 onwards.
Maryland
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Greece. Average trip cost: $8,163.33. Fastest growing destination: Colombia, up 200% from 2023 onwards.
Massachusetts
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Portugal. Average trip cost: $8,703.34. Fastest growing destination: Norway, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
Michigan
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Ireland. Average trip cost: $8,526.60. Fastest growing destination: Japan, with a 200% increase from 2023 onwards.
Minnesota
Most popular international destinations (in order): Average trip cost: $9,037.62. Fastest growing destination: Portugal, 800% increase from 2023 onwards.
Missouri
Most popular international destinations (in order): Jamaica, United Kingdom, Mexico. Average trip cost: $7,105.59. Fastest growing destination: Jamaica, up 500% from 2023 onwards.
New Jersey
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Greece. Average trip cost: $7,574.32. Fastest growing destination: Netherlands, up 550% from 2023 onwards.
new york
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, Bermuda, UK. Average trip cost: $8,558.38. Fastest growing destination: Japan, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
North Carolina
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Bahamas. Average trip cost: $8,638.42. Fastest growing destination: Kenya, up 800% from 2023 onwards.
Ohio
Most popular international destinations (in order): Germany, Italy, UK. Average trip cost: $8,819.60. Fastest growing destination: Caribbean, up 450% from 2023 onwards.
Pennsylvania
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, UK, Bahamas. Average trip cost: $8,803.33. Fastest growing destination: South Africa, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
South Carolina
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Bahamas. Average trip cost: $8,939.45. Fastest growing destinations: Portugal and Costa Rica, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
Tennessee
Most popular international destinations (in order): United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico. Average trip cost: $8,621.52. Fastest growing destination: Greece, up 300% from 2023 onwards.
Texas
Most popular international destinations (in order): Mexico, Italy, UK. Average trip cost: $9,125.96. Fastest growing destination: India (133% increase since 2023).
Virginia
Most popular international destinations (in order): Italy, Greece, UK. Average trip cost: $10,001.16. Fastest growing destination: Austria, up 600% from 2023 onwards.
Washington
Most popular international destinations (in order): UK, Italy, Canada. Average trip cost: $9,215.72. Fastest growing destination: Kenya, up 400% from 2023 onwards.
Wisconsin
Most popular international destinations (in order): UK, Italy, Canada. Average trip cost: $8,290.21. Fastest growing destination: Poland, up 300% from 2023 onwards.
States are spending more on international travel
On average, Americans traveling internationally this summer say they plan to spend about $800 more than they did in 2023. Only two states say they will spend less this summer, with Arizonans spending more than $1,000 less than they did in 2023 and Connecticut residents saving just over $250 compared to last summer’s vacation.
What about the other 23 most populous states in the U.S.? Spending increases range from just over $2 (Missouri) to more than $2,150 (Virginia).
Six of 24 states (25%) plan to spend 20% more on international summer travel in 2024 than they did last year.
*Louisiana travel data for 2023 is not available, so year-over-year changes in spending cannot be calculated.
Growing interest in travel insurance
Online searches for travel insurance have increased 49% since 2018, peaking in 2020 and remaining significantly higher than pre-pandemic years since then. New York, Hawaii and New Jersey have the highest rates of searches for travel insurance.
In a recent USA Today Blueprint survey on travel issues, 33% of people said flight delays or cancellations were their biggest travel fear, and 16% said they started purchasing travel insurance at the peak of the pandemic.
The average cost of travel insurance purchased across all destinations this summer is $347, covering an average trip cost of $6,550 and a trip length of 14 days. While there are several variables that affect price, the most affordable travel insurance typically costs around 5% to 6% of the cost of the trip.
USA TODAY Blueprint compared sales data from thousands of travel insurance policies purchased on TravelInsurance.com from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2023 and Jan. 1 to March 31, 2024, for travel dates from June 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2023 and June 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2024.
