Top Summer Destinations

Orlando, Florida, retained its ranking as the #1 summer destination for Americans, while Rome supplanted Vancouver as the top international destination in the 2018 AAA rankings.

“This is shaping up to be another banner season for travel as Americans look to get out and enjoy themselves in the summer sun,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president, AAA Travel and Publishing. “Travelers are making plans now to visit theme parks, sail away on cruise vacations, relax at the beach, and explore cities in the U.S. and across the globe.”

Known as “The City Beautiful” and “The Theme Park Capital of the World,” Orlando drew 68 million visitors in 2016. Last year, the entire state of Florida set a record with 116.5 million guests despite a two-day shut-down of Orlando’s theme parks in September after Hurricane Irma became the most intense hurricane to strike the continental United States since Katrina in 2005. According to the Orlando Sentinel, an estimated 1.8 million would-be visitors were lost because of Hurricane Irma, resulting in a loss of $1.5 billion in visitor spending.

The top 5 cities listed in AAA’s domestic rankings remained the same, although Honolulu, Hawaii’s capital city on the island of Oahu’s south shore, climbed to the second spot from #4. Anchorage and Seattle each slipped one notch, while Los Angeles remained at #5. Orlando and Boston were the only cities in the top 10 on the east coast.

While road trips remain the most popular family vacation option, more than one-third of families have plans to visit another country this summer. The Italian capital of Rome leapfrogged Vancouver to take this year’s top spot. Three other European cities made the top 5, including Dublin, London, and Paris, while Amsterdam made the top 10 cut.

Top International Summer Travel Destinations
1. Rome, Italy
2. Vancouver, British Columbia
3. Dublin, Ireland
4. London, England
5. Paris, France
6. Montego Bay, Jamaica
7. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
8. Calgary, Alberta
9. Cancun, Mexico
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands