Summer travel season is here and vacationers across Virginia will be hitting the road — or hopping onto a plane — for a trip away from home to rest, relax, and explore more of America.
But what are the favorite places to visit out of state for Virginians?
With vacation on everyone’s mind, BetVirginia.com – your home for the best VA sportsbook promotions – decided to determine which three cities Virginia residents love the most.
To do so, we used Google Trends to find out what cities in each U.S. state generated the most search engine traffic by inserting the term “Flights to…” and finding what city popped up the most at the end of that phrase.
Not including cities within Virginia, we narrowed the search history period down to a 12-month period (June 25, 2022 to June 25, 2023). According to our research, here are Virginia’s three favorite cities.
Clearly, Virginians have a soft spot for the Sunshine State. The No. 1 and No. 2 cities are both in Florida. It makes sense: In under three hours you can escape to beaches, warm air, and ample attractions for people of all ages.
Miami edges Orlando on our list. According to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, 26.5 million people visited Miami in 2022, injecting over $20 billion into the local economy — both figures a sharp rebound after the pandemic dimmed tourism figures across most of the world.
The city’s top attractions include Lincoln Road — the vibrant pedestrian promenade and shopping center — as well the Miami Seaquarium marine park and the open air street art mecca Wynwood Walls. But Miami’s beaches remain the main draw for tourists. Nearly 50% of visitors last year made the time to check out the sand and dip their toes in the Atlantic Ocean.
And Virginia sports betting enthusiasts who follow the Nationals, Commanders, Capitals and Wizards can work in some big-time events too. They can root, root, root for the visiting team when their favorite athletes face off with south Florida’s sporting contingent (the Marlins, Dolphins, Panthers and Heat, respectively).
Orlando finishes second on the list of Virginia’s favorite destinations but the Central Florida hub has the unique distinction of being the most visited city in America. Home to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando, the self-proclaimed “Theme Park Capital of the World” welcomed 74 million visitors in 2022.
Virginians’ No. 3 top city to visit is Boston, Massachusetts — most likely during summer.
In total, Boston welcomes more than 20 million visitors each year. Founded in 1630, Boston is a major hub of arts and culture, boasting several historic sites and museums.
One popular way to experience Boston’s rich history – a subject many Virginians no doubt treasure, considering their own state’s centuries-old tales – is by taking a stroll along the Freedom Trail. This 2.5-mile trek passes through several landmarks notable for their connection to the American Revolution, including Paul Revere’s house, the Benjamin Franklin statue, and the old church where the Boston Tea Party was organized.
Of course, with five professional sports teams, Boston is also a sports lover’s paradise – and unlike Florida, sports betting is legal in Massachusetts so users at online Virginia sportsbook apps will be familiar with the operators there. Fenway Park in particular is a well-known pilgrimage for baseball fans looking to check out the oldest Major League Baseball stadium in America.
Wherever you end up this holiday season, you can count on BetVirginia.com to keep you updated on the latest sports gambling news back at home.
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment and sports writer for BetVirginia.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with a Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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