International travel hot spots

Overseas, the top four international destination cities remained the same for the sixth year in a row with London receiving a 10.3 percent share of the vote followed by Rome (9%), Cancun (7.1%) and Paris (6.4%). For Americans traveling abroad, Western European destinations are the most popular summer spots in 2008 with five cities coming in the top 10. Mexican destinations are the other major grouping in the international top 10 list.

Italy remained the top international country/region booked by U.S. travel agents with an 18.7 percent share. Mexico came in second with 16.1 percent, and the UK received a 12.5 percent share of the votes. The UK was second in previous years and both Italy and the UK had larger percentage shares in 2007 and in 2006 suggesting the weak dollar is shifting some travel away from Europe with Mexico and other locations not in the top five benefiting. Filling out the top five international destinations were the islands of the Caribbean followed by France.

I’m not surprised at all by these selections but they are based on a national survey. However the Travel Professor feels that if we conducted a local travel destination survey that the beaches of the Carolinas and Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge would rank in the top ten favorite places for Tri-State residents.

Internationally I do not have a strong sense of our travel favorites but would tend to agree with ASTA’s survey results.

Email your top five domestic (United States only) and top five international including cruise vacations travel lists to me at TheTravelProfessor@gmail.com and I’ll share the results with you.

As always if you have travel questions feel free to contact me at TheTravelProfessor@gmail.com.