In 2022 travellers are dreaming of beach vacations

UNTIL recently, travellers' favorite destinations largely oscillated between idyllic beaches and bustling cities, allowing new places to slip into the rankings, especially with the emergence of the "workation" phenomenon. TripAdvisor's travel trends for 2022 are a sign of a return to normal: beach, sun and turquoise water.

Travel reviews and advice site TripAdvisor has released its travel trends for the year 2022. Still far from being completely free of travel-related health restrictions at the moment, travelers and other adventurers are looking forward to a return to normal for the coming year. White sand, turquoise water and heavenly vistas.

Because sun, beach and sea are hot for the Trending Destinations, according to the site's ranking. The Mediterranean is a great success, with the Balearic Islands (Majorca in first place, Ibiza in 6th), Greece (Rhodes in 3rd place, Santorini in 10th), and Croatia and its capital Dubrovnik (5th).

Looking through the ranking, the classic Caribbean beaches also make a showing: Tulum, in Mexico and its turquoise water (4th), the Dominican Republic (17th) and the island of Saint-Martin (19th). Nothing new (under the sun), except that tourists will resume their habits and dip their toes into the sand.

Dubai outranks New York

In the category of Most Popular Destinations, large urban centers and megacities are the big winners. Dubai in front, followed by London, Rome, Istanbul, Paris, Barcelona and Singapore, intermingled with more beachy destinations, such as Cancun, Bali and Phuket, in Thailand. Surprisingly: Las Vegas is the only destination in the United States in this ranking, which has seen New York displaced.

"Workation" spots

Among TripAdvisor's popular cities, some stand out in terms of travel habits, with Dubai one of the most obvious examples. With more flexible restrictions during the pandemic, the city attracted many tourists and workers. Some went there to indulge in a "workation" lifestyle: half-work, half-holiday. Among the preferred cities for this new approach to travel are Marrakech (12th) and Tenerife (13th), which were preferred by Europeans, while Rio de Janeiro (24th) and Bali (4th) attracted North Americans and Australians.