Looks like Valentine's Day travel plans may be the secret to discovering the most romantic country in the world. Airbnb, who has hosted over 60 million people, just released Travel Psyche, an analysis of travel trends. It's really fascinating because you can see where people are most likely to travel alone, where they're most likely to go with friends, or where they go for holidays — including which country had the largest increase in bookings over Valentine's Day. So where are couples flocking to for the most romantic day of the year? If your bets were on the traditionally love-soaked France or somewhere warm and tropical for a couple's getaway, think again. The most romantic country is... (drum roll please)... Denmark.
Denmark? Yup —Denmark, whose exports now include machinery, meat products, and love. I've always wanted to visit, but I've never thought of it as a romantic spot. Time to start rethinking it. I mean, France was my guess and it didn't even make the top five.
But there were other interesting tidbits to be gained from looking at Valentine's Day travel. Here's what you should know about love and travel, because turns out we love to travel but hate to commit:
1. Europe Is Super Romantic
So while Denmark saw the biggest rise around the Valentine's Day, they weren't the only European hotspot. The next biggest rises around V-Day were Poland, the UK, and Switzerland.
2. But Apparently So Was The U.S.
Europe didn't have a total monopoly, because rounding off the top five was the US of A. It would be interesting to see which cities within the U.S. were the most popular.
3. A Lot Of Us Like To Go Away On Valentine's Day
So even though an entire trip for Valentine's Day might seem a little extravagant, there is about 14 percent more travel that weekend than on the surrounding weekends, so couples are definitely getting away to celebrate. Interestingly, they also noted that birthdays are becoming an increasingly popular travel time, not just during the week around your birthday but the whole month.
4. But We're Tentative To Book
So here's the funny thing about Valentine's Day. Even though travel is popular than, we seem to leave booking until the last-minute. In fact, Valentine's Day bookings are more procrastinated than any other holiday. At New Year's about 45 percent of bookings were done a month and a half in advance, compared to only 25 percent of Valentine's Day bookings. Whether it's down to romantic spontaneity, you're not sure you're ready to go away with your partner, or you totally forgot about V-Day all together, Valentine's Day tends to be a more last-minute affair.
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