Holiday Travel to Europe Heats up while Iceland goes cold

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans continue to choose London, Paris and Rome as their preferred European holiday destinations with travel to these cities increasing significantly, while travel to Iceland has plunged, according to a survey by travel insurance and assistance company Allianz Global Assistance.

American travel to Europe is up 25 percent over last year, overall, and the Top 10 European destinations held onto their rankings since 2018, with frontrunners London (49 percent), Paris (57 percent), Rome (34 percent), Amsterdam (28 percent), and Madrid (18 percent) experiencing healthy gains.

Iceland, which appeared on last year's list at #11, dropped to #31 and will see 84 percent fewer American visitors to the Nordic country, fueled perhaps in part by the collapse of national air carrier WOW Airlines earlier this year. Scandinavian neighbors including Rovaniemi, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden (#27) each enjoyed robust gains in American travelers at 154 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

Allianz reviewed 701,583 million itineraries* during the peak holiday travel season for departures from U.S. airports to European destinations from Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 and returning by Monday, January 6th, 2020.

Florence (#20), the third Italian city in Allianz's Top 20 European Holiday Travel survey, will see an increase of 46 percent of Americans over last year, while Milan (#11) rises by 35 percent; Venice, which came in at #18 last year and is currently experiencing historical flooding, dropped three spots and out of the Top 20. Czech capital city Prague jumped six spots to #13, with a 42 percent increase in American travelers, and Athens, Greece increased by 32 percent and now claims the 16^th most popular European holiday destination title.  

"Travel to Iceland has fallen off a fjord, while London, Paris and Rome continue to fly high," said Daniel Durazo, director of marketing and communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. "According to our data, travel to Europe has increased dramatically this holiday season, perhaps fueled by the increasing popularity of river cruising. Wherever you're headed, don't let canceled flights, missed connections or lost luggage turn you into a grinch this holiday season: buy travel insurance when you book your trip to help protect your travel investment and give you peace of mind."

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

*Methodology: The data of U.S. travelers' 2019 European travel plans was gathered by analyzing the number of travelers that went through the online booking process of airfare and package paths for partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance to generate itineraries for roundtrip flights departing from U.S. airports to European destinations between 11/20/19-1/5/2020, returning 11/20/20-1/6/2020. In total, 701,583 itineraries were analyzed using this methodology.

About Allianz Global Assistance 
Allianz Global Assistance is a leading consumer specialty insurance** and assistance company with operation centers in 35 countries. In the United States, Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company) serves 40 million customers annually and is best known for its Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for property and casualty insurers and credit card companies.

**Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and limits vary by plan. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your specific plan, carefully review your plan's Letter of Confirmation/Declarations and Certificate of Insurance/Policy. Insurance coverage is underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), rated "A‐" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: Richmond, VA), rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101‐C series or 101‐P series, depending on state of residence. AGA Service Company d/b/a Allianz Global Assistance is the licensed producer and administrator of Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans in the U.S. and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. Allianz Global Assistance, TravelSmart, and AgentSmart are marks of AGA Service Company or its affiliates.  The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between Allianz Global Assistance and Jefferson Insurance Company. Noninsurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by Allianz Global Assistance. SmartBenefits proactive payments and "no receipts" payments available only on certain plans.  For plans that include proactive payments:  when you opt in and provide flight information, Allianz Global Assistance will monitor flights and send flight status and benefit alerts, including alerts about flight delays that qualify for automated travel delay payments.  Standard message/data rates apply to SMS alerts.  Automated claims and payment system availability is not guaranteed and is subject to our sole discretion.  All claims subject to policy terms, conditions, and exclusions. 

SOURCE Allianz Global Assistance