Italy, Spain and Greece are this year’s most popular luxury travel destinations, according to the inaugural Accor Northern Europe Travel Trends Report. 

Italy took centre stage as the premier destination for travellers from Europe, with Accor noting new openings including Pullman Timi Ama Sardeqna and Palazzo Tirso Cagliari MGallery in Sardinia and Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese. 

France, Germany, the USA, the UK, Croatia, Portugal and Thailand also made it into the top 10.

Of the 6,000 people surveyed, more than 80% plan to travel in 2022 and 55% intend to keep their travels within Europe after two challenging pandemic years, noting shorter flight times, the warm climate, family-friendly food, fashion and culture. 

A further 39% said they intend to spend more on travel in 2022, while 14% of those polled are planning all-out luxury trips of a lifetime to make up for the lost travel. 

Beach holidays topped the wish list for travel this year, with 33% planning trips involving sun and sand.  

City breaks are also gearing up for a return, with 26% of respondents noting a desire for cosmopolitan culture. 

Mindful travel was also a key trend, with 66% of people identifying the emotional and experiential role of travel being their biggest priorities when going on holiday. 

What’s more, research ore-Omicron indicated one in five travellers sought country escapes, but the report said the recent pandemic surge resulted in an increased desire for nature, with 30% of travellers seeking holidays in nature in 2022. 
“People want to travel, they also want to be safe and are now adjusting to the fact that the two can go together,” the report said. 

“Reassurance is a must for travel in 2022 and beyond.”