Comparing recent car rental searches worldwide, Wisecars released and outlined various travel trends for the upcoming summer season. Reports show that interest for 2022 travel showed tremendous growth compared to 2021.

According to the report, travelers interested in renting a car in the recent 30 days were largely from the United States, Italy, Great Britain, France, Spain, Canada, and Australia. The most remarkable change is in the destinations of choice. American travelers are planning trips to Europe, mainly in southern countries. The top destination countries for worldwide searches were Italy, USA (Florida and California), Spain, the United Kingdom, and Greece.

Eleven percent of the more than 400 million searches that ran the previous month target Italy. Italy has been one of the most cautious European countries regarding COVID restrictions, so the new trend is encouraging. The decision on whether to lift mask mandates or not will be discussed at the end of April; even so, both Italians and foreigners are already making travel plans to the mainland and to Sicily and Sardinia, Wisecars notes. It is important to call out that although demand is on the up, so are prices thanks to the vehicle and chip shortage caused by the pandemic.

“We advise every traveler to make their plans ahead of time and reserve their vehicle online, especially those who are interested in the trending locations such as Naples and Rome,” said Wisecars spokesman Steve Brax. “We have been working hard to help travelers find the best deals even during high season.”