Hostelworld : Backpackers seek adventure in Central America as Mexico and Costa Rica enter top 10 travel spots for 2022

Backpackers seek adventure in Central America as Mexico and Costa

Rica enter top 10 travel spots for 2022

Hostelworld reveals most booked destinations for 2022, compared to pre-pandemic trends

• Mexico climbs to 3rd place on global travel list, up from 14th and Costa Rica makes 8th place from 27th
• Hawaii is showing the biggest growth for USA destinations, as Honolulu and Maui sneak into the 20 most booked places globally
• NYC drops to 27th place for American travellers in 2022, significantly down from 9th most visited city
• Scotland makes 10th most booked country globally, and top spot for British travellers next year

LONDON, 18 November 2021: Hostelworld, the global hostel-focussed online booking platform, has revealed their most booked destinations for 2022, with emerging Costa Rica making the top 10 for the first time.

As firm backpacker favourites Australia and New Zealand unsurprisingly drop off the top travel list, travellers turn to Central America to get their adventure fix, with Mexico coming in third and Costa Rica coming in eighth.

Scotland is also climbing the ranks, moving up from 17th place to 10th spot globally in 2022, and even making it to most booked country for British travellers - a 7% increase on normal booking levels pre-pandemic.

The USA retains its leader position in 2022, however when looking at which cities people are booking it seems backpackers are chasing sun and surf vibes in Hawaii. Honolulu and Maui have come in at 15th and 18th place in the top 20 cities booked by global customers, overtaking San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami. New York City is still a sought-after destination for international travellers, coming in 14th for most booked city, but for Americans NYC has dropped from 9th to 27th place in 2022.

Looking at the top destinations booked by nationality, the most surprising trend is that Australians are opting to stay at home with 11 of the top 20 cities booked by Aussies in 2022 within Australia. Byron Bay climbs to top spot up from 31st place in 2020, representing an 86% increase.

Top 10 most booked countries for global hostel travellers in 2022, with popular places to stay:

1. USA -Samsun Ocean BeachSan Diego. Hostelworld rating 9.7, from £23. Cool feature: Beachfront, 70s surf vibes!
2. Spain -Toc Hostel Barcelona, Hostelworld rating 9.4, from £26. Cool feature: terrace pool!
3. Mexico -Hostel TribuHolbox Island, Hostelworld rating 9.3, from £13. Cool feature: Free yoga and salsa lessons!
4. Italy -YellowSquareRome. Hostelworld rating 8.9, from £12. Cool feature: amazing co-working spaces with bookable desks!
5. Germany -The Circus HostelBerlin. Hostelworld rating 9.4, from £20. Cool feature: Own Microbrewery!
6. Netherlands -Flying Pig DowntownAmsterdam. Hostelworld rating 9.2, from £21. Cool feature: famous hostel bar!
7. France -Les PiaulesParis, Hostelworld rating 9.0, from £25. Cool feature: Rooftop terrace with landmark views!
8. Costa Rica -In The Wind Hostel, San Jose. Hostelworld rating: 9.3, from £10.
   Cool feature: free breakfast pancakes!
9. England -St Christopher's Inn Liverpool St. Hostelworld rating 9.1, from £32. Cool feature: A stroll from Shoreditch

10. Scotland - Castle Rock HostelEdinburg. Hostelworld rating 9.5, from £12. Cool feature: Right beside Edinburg Castle

ENDS

Notes

All prices are average per person, per night in GBP as of 15th November 2021 and are subject to availability. All ratings are accurate as of 15th November 2021.

Data methodology: The rankings and growth trends identified are based on Hostelworld's Global customer bookings made in the last three months (10 Aug- 10 Nov 2021) for travel in 2022. The 2022 trends were compared to normal figures pre-pandemic, using the same booking period August-November in 2019, for travel that was due to take place in 2020 regardless of any cancelled trips. Hostelworld has an active community of hostel travellers aged 18-35, with just under 7 million bookings in 2019.

About Hostelworld

Hostelworld, the leading global Online Travel Agent (OTA) focused on the hostel market, inspires adventurous minds to experience new places, meet new people and come back with extraordinary stories to tell. Hostelworld customers aren't your average travellers; they are driven by the need for unique experiences, social connections and empowering adventures. It's the social nature of hostels that turbocharges their global adventures and enables them to Meet the World. Hostelworld has over 22 years' experience, with more than 13 million reviews across 17,000+ hostels in 179 countries, making it the leading online hub for social travel. Its website operates in 19 different languages and mobile app in 13. The Hostelworld Group went public in November 2015, listing on the main London and Dublin stock exchanges. Headquartered in Dublin, Hostelworld has offices around the world in London, Shanghai, Sydney and Porto.