The most popular vacay destinations in 2021, according to Google

Already thinking way ahead? Get the lowdown on next year’s hottest destinations

By this point, most of us have had to call off any overseas holidays we had planned for 2020. Staycations: very much in. Long-haul travel: very much out. But we could all do with something fun, far-flung and (hopefully) sunny to look forward in these strange and surreal times, right? 

If you’ve already started thinking about getting away next year, you’re not alone. According to an analysis of Google data by holiday firm Kuoni, searches for ‘2021 holiday’ have soared 124 percent since late March. And it seems we’ve already started picking out particular destinations too. 

In its report on search data for 131 countries across the globe, the company has also revealed the most searched-for holiday destinations worldwide. In at number one: the United Arab Emirates, home to tourist hotspots Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which was the most googled destination in 11 countries. 

In joint second: Qatar, Canada and the USA, which all topped holiday-related searches in eight countries. The fifth most searched-for destination around the world was Egypt, which was most popular in six countries.

Across Europe, the Maldives was named the most popular destination, with five countries googling it more than any other. In Asia, Canada and the UAE were joint top; in Africa, the UAE was also number one; and in South America, Peru was the most searched-for holiday destination for 2021. 

The holiday firm also released data just for the UK which revealed Brits’ most googled destinations were the Maldives, followed by Mexico, Bali in Indonesia, the UAE and Turkey. In the USA and Canada, the most searched-for destination was Japan, while in Australia, Fiji topped the rankings. 

The results for individual countries were reached by calculating the average search volume for terms such as ‘[destination] 2021’ and ‘[destination] holiday 2021’ throughout April this year, a spokesperson for Kuoni said. 

So, depending which way you look at it, you’ve either just got a load of inspiration for that long-awaited trip abroad next year, or by process of elimination, you now know exactly where to go to avoid the crowds.

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