2015 Travel Trends - Alaska Cruises Named as Top U.S. Destination
Travel Leaders Group “2015 Travel Trends Survey”:
Alaska Cruises Named as Top U.S. “Destination” for 2015
Strong Europe interest is led by London and European
river cruises; “up-and-coming” destinations include Cuba; and vacation
spending will increase.
(December 18, 2014) – Today, Travel Leaders Group
unveiled the 2015 results of its authoritative annual Travel Trends
Survey. Based on the findings, there is a major shake-up among the
most popular U.S. destinations heading into the New Year – the rugged and
untamed beauty of Alaska, enjoyed via cruising, has dethroned Las
Vegas and stands at #1 in an extremely tight contest that also
includes Orlando, Maui, and New York City. The single, hottest destination
trend in travel last year – European river cruising – jumps up
another spot in 2015 to #4 on the Top International Destinations
list, just behind Caribbean cruising, Cancun (Mexico) and London,
respectively. This year’s survey results also reveal that 96.5% of travel
agents surveyed state client spending will be the same or higher in
the coming year and 85% of agents indicate that 2015 bookings are on par
or greater than this time one year ago.Below are some of the top findings from this year’s Travel Leaders Group Travel Trends Survey including: top international and domestic destinations, “up and coming” destinations, travel spending data, and more.
Top Destinations: U.S. and International Based on Actual 2015 Bookings:
The following lists display the top domestic and international destinations for 2015, along with rankings from the 2014 survey conducted one year ago (agents were asked to name up to five top destinations they’re already booking for 2015):
| Rank | 2015 Top Domestic Destinations |
2015%
|
Rank '14
|
|
1
|
CRUISE – Alaska |
33.56%
|
4
|
|
2
|
Orlando, FL |
33.22%
|
2
|
|
3
|
Maui, HI |
32.55%
|
3
|
|
4
|
New York City, NY |
32.13%
|
5
|
|
5
|
Las Vegas, NV |
29.61%
|
1
|
|
6
|
Honolulu, HI |
20.97%
|
6
|
|
7
|
San Francisco, CA |
16.36%
|
7
|
|
8
|
Chicago, IL |
15.44%
|
11
|
|
9
|
Los Angeles, CA |
15.18%
|
10
|
|
10
|
Washington, D.C. |
12.67%
|
12 (tie)
|
|
Rank
|
2015 Top International Destinations |
2015%
|
Rank '14
|
|
1
|
CRUISE – Caribbean |
37.5%
|
1
|
|
2
|
Cancun, Mexico |
31.8%
|
2
|
|
3
|
London, England |
27.6%
|
6
|
|
4
|
CRUISE – Europe (River) |
25.1%
|
5
|
|
5
|
Rome, Italy |
21.3%
|
4
|
|
6
|
CRUISE – Europe (Mediterranean) |
20.6%
|
3
|
|
7
|
Paris, France |
19.0%
|
8
|
|
8
|
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
15.7%
|
7
|
|
9
|
Montego Bay, Jamaica |
13.5%
|
10
|
|
10
|
Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Mexico |
11.0%
|
9
|
Travel Spending in 2015:
Based on bookings-to-date for 2015 and conversations with clients, 96.5% of Travel Leaders Group agents surveyed say clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2015. That is up over the responses for 2014 (94.0%), 2013 (92.2%) and 2012 (91.3%).
|
2015
|
2014
|
2013
|
|
| Spending MORE per trip than the previous year |
53.2%
|
52.6%
|
53.1%
|
| Spending THE SAME per trip as the previous year |
43.3%
|
41.4%
|
39.1%
|
| Spending LESS per trip than the previous year |
3.5%
|
6.0%
|
7.8%
|
When asked for their expert findings, Travel Leaders Group agents nationally indicate the following as the “up and coming” international destinations within Europe, the Pacific, Africa, Asia/Southeast Asia and Central/South America.
- Europe “Up and Coming”: Croatia (25.2%), Greek Islands (21.0%), Iceland (17.8%), Czech Republic (10.3%), Portugal (8.8%). Last year the top up and coming destinations in this category were: Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, Czech Republic and Portugal, respectively.
- Pacific “Up and Coming”: New Zealand (30.4%), Bora Bora (11.3%), Tahiti (11.3%), Fiji (9.8%), and Bali (7.2%). Last year, the top up and coming destinations in this category were: New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Bora Bora, and Australia – Queensland. It should also be noted that if Australia wasn’t broken out by state, it would be second behind New Zealand with 20.7%.
- Africa “Up and Coming”: South Africa (41.0%), Kenya (11.2%), Morocco (10.6%), Seychelles (9.1%), and Tanzania (9.0%). Previously, there was no category for up and coming destinations in Africa, so Seychelles was grouped into Asia/Southeast Asia. In 2015, Morocco will be the host destinations for the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Destination Expo.
- Asia/Southeast Asia “Up and Coming”: Vietnam (27.5%), Thailand (22.8%), Burma/Myanmar (11.2%), Maldives (9.3%), Cambodia (5.2%), and Philippines (5.2%). Last year, the top up and coming destinations in this category were: Vietnam, Burma/Myanmar, Maldives, Seychelles, and Indonesia.
- Central/South America “Up and Coming”: Costa Rica (30.5%), Peru (11.2%), Ecuador and Galapagos Islands (10.2%), Cuba (9.4%), and Belize (7.9%). Licensed American travelers currently have the limited ability to visit Cuba as part of a “people to people” educational exchange. With the announcement on December 17, 2014, that the U.S. is normalizing relations with Cuba and reducing travel limitations, pent up demand and more ways for U.S. citizens to immerse themselves in Cuba’s history and culture will continue to boost Cuba’s placement among Travel Leaders Group’s “up and coming” destinations. Last year, the list, in order, was Peru, Brazil, Panama, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands, and Argentina.
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For more information about Alaska Cruises & Cruise Tours visit: www.alaskacruisesdirect.com
