In many cases, the relationship between spring breakers and their chosen destination is an uncomfortable one. Cancún, for example is a famous spring break destination that relies heavily on the tourist dollar, but the type of spring breaker it’s known to attract isn’t exactly synonymous with upstanding behavior or any other manner of positive contribution to the Yucatán city beyond the fiscal.
It’s exactly for that reason that you might assume people in 2022 would be looking to steer clear of popular spring break locales, particularly in light of COVID. But that assumption would be wrong.
According to a study conducted by Upgraded Points based on data pulled from Google Trends, spring break is alive and well in the usual places. When looking for the perfect place for a spring jaunt, Americans are most interested in Cancún, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, Saint Thomas, Puerto Vallarta and North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
With there being such an emphasis on slow, more meaningful travel, it’s interesting to see so many people gravitating toward old standbys.
Further, the correlation between the destination of interest and the region from which the Googler hails is an interesting one. According to the data, the Pacific Northwest appears particularly interested in Puerto Vallarta, while Cancún still reins supreme for Midwesterners. New Yorkers and Californians both have their sights set on other locations — Cabo San Lucas and Nassau, respectively — while the majority of Floridians, Texans, Nevadians, Utahans, Louisianans, Alabamans and South Carolinians plan to stay in state.
Arguably the most surprising finding, however, is how many people didn’t search for Miami, given its prevalence on the spring break scene. Just last year, Miami was thrust into crisis mode at the hands of rambunctious spring break crowds whose refusal to adhere to guidelines resulted in the implementation of an emergency curfew.
Perhaps it’s the reason Miami isn’t being searched as frequently as other locales, though I doubt it. By that same logic, it’s likely Cancún would, too, be out.
In a world where virtually nothing feels the same as it did two years ago, maybe there’s a small bit of solace to be had in knowing that spring break is still going to spring break, just as it always has. And just as Mexico was added to the CDC’s highest COVID advisory list.
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