These days, before we do anything or go anywhere, we check in with Google. Whether it's to find directions, a place to stay, or a shop to grab ice cream; it's increasingly rare for us to leave our comfort zone (or hometown) without a few pre-travel searches. Which is why the company is uniquely positioned to know exactly what we will be doing—and where we'll be going—this coming Memorial Day. Based on the company's massive stash of data, this is what we can expect the coming holiday weekend to look like.
And for tips on using data to beat the expected traffic jams, check out this companion piece.
Expect Massive Crowds At The Following Places...
According to information provided by Google, the following locations are expected to be the top 10 Memorial Day weekend travel destinations, based on search queries beginning April 1, 2015.
- Myrtle Beach
- Ocean City, MD
- Portland, Oregon
- Pisgah National Forest
- Disney World
- Yellowstone National Park
- San Diego Zoo
- Hershey Park
- Catalina Island
- Hualalai, Hawaii
...And In These Cities
According to flight and hotel searches, these are the top 10 cities Americans are looking to visit over Memorial Day.
- London
- New York/Newark
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Orlando
- San Francisco
- Paris
- Washington
- Miami
Now, lets compare it to 2014. You can see that London, Las Vegas, Miami, and Paris have climbed; while Seattle and Dallas have fallen out of the top 10:
- New York/Newark
- Los Angeles
- London
- San Francisco
- Las Vegas
- Chicago
- Orlando
- Washington
- Seattle
- Dallas
These international cities are really hot this year
Compared to last year, the following cities have seen visitor interest at least double, according to data pulled from Google Flights.
- Reykjavik
- Stockholm
- Milan
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Copenhagen
- Paris
- Dubai
It may be difficult to get a hotel room in these cities
Compared to a typical weekend, the following cities have seen the greatest increase in searches for hotel rooms this coming Memorial Day. In other words: You may want to lock down a room.
- Miami-Ft. Lauderdale FL
- Florence-Myrtle Beach SC
- Las Vegas NV
- New York NY
- Salisbury MD
- San Diego CA
- Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News VA
- Washington DC (Hagerstown MD)
- Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) FL
- Philadelphia PA
- Boston MA-Manchester NH
- Buffalo NY
- Reno NV
- New Orleans LA
- Chicago IL
- Mobile AL-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach) FL
People really want to hit the beach
Google highlighted the following trending queries in 20 metropolitan areas in 2014
- beaches
- cemeteries
- cafes / restaurants
- gas stations
- furniture stores and chains
- ice cream stores and chains
Now, lets take a look at the most popular beaches over the past three Memorial Days. Interesting, in that the rankings here do not align perfectly with the expeted top destinations listed above for this coming Memorial Day. This suggests that some destinations (such as Myrtle Beach) have become more popular, while others have fallen off a bit.
- Catalina Island
- Santa Cruz Boardwalk
- Huntington Beach
- Myrtle Beach
- Laguna Beach
- Hilton Head
- Ocean City
- Hermosa Beach
- Newport Beach
- Pismo Beach
These Are The Top Travel Questions People Have For Memorial Day
Nothing too actionable here, but it's certainly interesting and perhaps useful for understanding how people are thinking about and planning their getaways.
- Is the zoo open on Memorial Day?
- What to do for Memorial Day weekend
- Is Hershey Park busy on Memorial Day?
- How crowded is Typhoon Lagoon on Memorial Day weekend?
- How busy is Kings Island on Memorial Day?
- Is the Gateway Arch open on Memorial Day?
- Is the mall open on Memorial Day?
- What to do in Lake of Ozarks on Memorial Day
- Will airfares drop after Memorial Day?
- Are MTA bus schedules different for Memorial Day?