Romance is in the air, and most travellers appear to feel most amorous when they’re on the road. This is the takeaway from a recent study examining American attitudes toward travel and love. The study, commissioned by Expedia and conducted by GfK, is titled the “Expedia Heat Index” and reveals that 32 per cent of respondents felt beach travel is the “most romantic,” followed by 27 per cent who preferred international exotic destinations. Another 22 per cent of respondents tabbed the countryside, while 4 per cent selected cities.
Equally interesting: More than half of respondents (55 per cent) said they would be “very or somewhat likely” to propose to a significant other while on vacation.
GfK asked 1,027 Americans a range of romance-related questions, including which cities offer the most attractive dating populations, which destinations are most romantic, how often they have begun or ended love affairs while travelling and much more.
Sarah Gavin, Expedia’s Head of Communications, said travel and romance are tightly intertwined. “Travel can also be a good barometer of a couple’s compatibility,” she said. “It’s well known by now that ‘experiences’ make people happier than ‘things,’ so this Valentine’s Day, rather than making a reservation at a restaurant nearby, consider a reservation on the other side of the world. You won’t regret it.”
J’Adore Paris
Not surprisingly, Paris, France, ranked highest among respondents for the most romantic city to visit with a significant other. When asked to select the most romantic cities from a list of global destinations, 69% of Americans chose Paris as the runaway winner. The top ten most romantic cities, according to Americans, are:
| 1. | Paris | 69% |
| 2. | Rome | 56% |
| 3. | Florence | 43% |
| 4. | New York | 26% |
| 5. | Barcelona | 24% |
| 6. | Rio de Janeiro | 23% |
| 7. | San Francisco | 21% |
| 8. | Cancun | 20% |
| 9. | London | 20% |
| 10. | Vienna | 18% |
Paris was also chosen as the city where Americans most want to spend Valentine’s Day when single. Fourteen per cent chose Paris, and 12% chose New York, followed by Las Vegas (11%), Miami (7%) and Rome (6%). However, the best city to live in as a single person is New York City, according to Americans. 48% chose New York, 35% chose Los Angeles, and 33% chose Las Vegas.
A similar mix of cities is considered to be “sexy,” with Paris (61%) and Rome (49%) topping the list.
The ten sexiest cities are:
| 1. | Paris | 61% |
| 2. | Rome | 49% |
| 3. | Rio de Janeiro | 37% |
| 4. | Florence | 35% |
| 5. | Miami | 34% |
| 6. | Las Vegas | 32% |
| 7. | Cancun | 30% |
| 8. | New York | 28% |
| 9. | Barcelona | 27% |
| 10. | Los Angeles | 21% |
However, the order of sexiest cities did not necessarily correlate to the order of cities with the “most attractive dating populations.” Americans consider Los Angeles (41%) to have the world’s most desirable dating pool. Americans feel the cities with the most attractive residents are:
| 1. | Los Angeles | 41% |
| 2. | New York | 36% |
| 3. | Miami | 32% |
| 4. | Paris | 30% |
| 5. | Rome | 25% |
| 6. | Rio de Janeiro | 24% |
| 7. | Las Vegas | 22% |
| 8. | San Francisco | 21% |
| 9. | Florence | 16% |
| 10. | Barcelona | 16% |
Getting frisky on holiday
Americans say that travel provides a romantic spark, with just over fifty per cent saying they are “more likely” to be intimate with their significant other while on vacation than at home. While the hotel room is the most popular venue for such behaviour, cited by 72% of Americans, they also demonstrate free-spiritedness. While travelling, 45% have been intimate in the shower, 25% on a beach, 23% in a hot tub, 17% in an outdoor tent, 16% in a pool and 10% on a balcony. Four per cent claim to have been intimate in a rental car.
Expedia Heat Index results reveal that just over fifteen per cent of Americans have “hooked up” with someone they met on vacation. Five per cent have elected to extend a vacation because of a romance begun while travelling, and 23% say they would consider extending that relationship once the vacation concludes. Thirty-two per cent said they would not, while 42% hedged, saying it depended on “how far away” the other person lived. Four per cent of Americans have ended a relationship with their partner while travelling with them, and another 4% say they have considered doing so.
When asked how soon in a relationship they consider it appropriate to take an overnight trip together, thirty per cent said within 1-3 months. 10% would take an overnight trip with a new partner within the first month, and 4% would take such a trip on their first date. 25% of Americans would wait to 4-8 months, and 15% would wait more than a full year.
About the Survey
GfK, an international market research company, asked 1,000 Americans a range of romance-related questions, including which cities offer the most attractive dating populations, which destinations are most romantic, how often they have begun or ended love affairs while travelling and much more.
The study was conducted online using the GfK “KnowledgePanel,” an online probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US general population, not just the online population. The study consisted of 1,027 interviews conducted between January 22-24, 2016, among adults aged 18+. The margin of error is +/-3 percentage points.
The Expedia Heat Index can be fully viewed on the Expedia Viewfinder blog.
