‘Paintball’ was the most searched recreational word searched on Google Maps this summer in the U.S., while Death Valley National Park, located in California & Nevada, was the most popular holiday destination.
The numbers also indicate that Americans and Canadians seem to prefer to go to national parks and other ‘nature’ spots during the summer, while the British seemed more keen on landmarks such as Westminster, the area where most of Britain’s famous historical buildings are located.
Among the nine countries for which data was made available, Indians seemed to be the least adventurous, with several ‘ordinary’ words making it into the top 10 searched landmarks on Google Maps.
Only four of the top ten landmarks searched on Google maps in India this summer were actual holiday spots. Kerala, a green state at the southern tip of India, topped the list of holiday destinations searched during the summer, and was ahead of the Taj Mahal.
Back in the U.S., paintball was followed by ‘campground’ and ‘beach’ as the most popular general terms (not landmarks) searched during the summer, or in the May-September period, Google said.
Interestingly, the top six landmarks searched on Google maps during the summer in the U.S. were all national parks, including the Grand Canyon and Waimea Canyon.
Unlike in the U.K., only two man-made landmarks made it to the top ten in the United States – the Empire State Building and the Times Square.
In contrast, in the U.K., nine of the top 10 landmarks were man-made, while the remaining landmark was Yorkshire, the historic county of Northern England.
“North Americans sought out the best local beaches to help cool off from the summer heat. In comparison, many more people from Spain, Italy and France searched for community swimming pools. In cooler areas of the U.K. the rising Google Maps searches included many indoor activities such as squash, bars and going to the gym,” Google said.
National parks and Hawaiian islands were the most popular searches in the U.S., while local parks, zoos, gardens and playgrounds topped Canada’s and Europe’s list.
You can see Google’s infographic here.