NEW YORK (Reuters) – Shaky economy notwithstanding, Americans intend to travel farther and spend more in 2012, according to a nationwide poll.
Long-haul bookings to Europe, Asia and Australia are up in 2012, comprising 11 of the top 20 destinations for U.S. travelers, compared to nine in 2011, the survey of 640 travel agents showed.
Over 90 percent said their clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2012. The top two international destinations for 2012, based on actual bookings, remain Caribbean cruises and Cancun, Mexico, as they were in the 2011 survey.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China, missing from the top 20 in 2011, made the list in 2012, and Sydney, Australia, ranked 19th last year just missed making the top 15.
“We are very encouraged to see the rise in popularity of such a diverse group of international destinations,” said Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group, which conducted the poll.
He said along with the expected list-toppers, such as London and Rome, it was nice to see Americans’ interests are diversifying and in large enough numbers to ‘bump up’ destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing in Asia, and Amsterdam and Barcelona in Europe.
Asked to pick the top up-and-coming international destinations, over a third of the agents chose Croatia for Europe, and one-half said Vietnam led in Asia. Panama edged out Ecuador and Brazil among destinations within Central/South America.
The luxury travel segment continues to thrive. More than half the leisure travel specialists polled reported upticks in small ship cruising, off-the-beaten path travel and international family travel.
Las Vegas, Nevada, heads up the domestic destinations for 2012 for U.S. travelers, as it did in 2011. Agents cite the lure of gaming and the ease of the getaway for its continued vitality; Orlando, Florida, the home of Disney World, ranked second.
Last-minute leisure travel is down. Eager to lock-in optimum pricing and driven by reduced airline capacity, leisure travelers continue to book further in advance of their travel date.
Domestically, more than 63 percent of leisure travelers booked their flights eight weeks or more in advance of the travel date; internationally, it was 89.5 percent.
Almost 40 percent of the agents reported higher bookings in 2012; 40.8 percent said bookings were even; and 19.7 percent reported lower bookings than in 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
2011年12月30日星期五
Update: Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012
ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Travel Agency Partner AAA Chicago will be featuring seminars on personalized African safari tours, guided European vacations and cruising at the AAA Travel Theater. Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Travel Agency Partner AAA Chicago will be featuring seminars on personalized African safari tours, guided European vacations and cruising at the AAA Travel Theater. Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
- Domestic and International Exhibitors — Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.
- Fiery Foods Challenge — Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.
- Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition — The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing — right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!
- Scuba Do! — Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool — all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.
- Global Beats Stage — musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012
ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1842618
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
- Domestic and International Exhibitors – Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.
- Fiery Foods Challenge – Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.
- Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition – The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing – right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!
- Scuba Do! – Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool – all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.
- Global Beats Stage – musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1842618
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
2011年12月29日星期四
Olympics, Titanic, Cuba shape travel in 2012
NEW YORK — The Olympics, the centennial of the Titanic sinking, new rules on travel to Cuba, a once-a-decade horticultural festival in the Netherlands and a continued reliance on technology and personalization will all help shape travel in 2012.
Here are some details on these and other destinations and trends.
EVENTS: The Summer Olympic Games take place in London, July 27-Aug. 12. For those without tickets, Hyde Park and other places will host live broadcasts of the games on giant outdoor screens. A three-month arts festival beginning June 21 will add a cultural component, from Shakespeare to music to street performers.
Great Britain will also celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee June 2-5. She is only the second British monarch after Queen Victoria to mark 60 years on the throne.
The Netherlands is planning Floriade, a horticultural expo that takes place once a decade. A 160-acre park with five different floral and nature themes opens April 5-Oct. 7, in Venlo, about 85 miles or two hours by train from Amsterdam; http://www.floriade.com.
The European Capitals of Culture for 2012 are Maribor, Slovenia, known for wines, a historic town center and nearby forests, waterfalls and moors; and Guimaraes, Portugal, known for crafts like goldsmithing, pottery and embroidery, and for its roots as the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, who established the country as an independent kingdom from Spain. Arabella Bowen, executive director of editorial and content strategy at the travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s, says both destinations are great values for food and hotels, with interesting attractions away from the crowds.
In the U.S., the bicentennial of the War of 1812 will be marked with tall ships, educational events and fireworks in several destinations, including June 6-12 in Norfolk, Va., and June 13-19 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.
TITANIC 100TH: The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank April 15, 1912, on its maiden voyage from England to New York. A variety of events in 2012 — including some cruises — will mark 100 years since the tragedy in which more than 1,500 died. Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic offers an extensive permanent Titanic exhibit but will also be hosting special exhibits and events for the April anniversary and into the summer. Visitors can also tour Halifax’s Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 Titanic victims are buried.
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland, and an enormous waterfront development called Titanic Quarter is taking shape on the site of the former shipyard, with hotels, eateries, parks, theaters and galleries. Titanic Belfast, an ultra-modern building whose shape and silvery color evokes ship hulls on the water, is set to open in April with Titanic-themed galleries and interactive exhibits. Southampton, England, which lost 549 locals when the ship went down, mostly crew members, is also opening a new interactive museum, Sea City, focusing on various aspects of the Titanic story.
Far from those ports, the Titanic Pigeon Forge attraction in Tennessee is a half-scale, three-deck reproduction of the ship. A centennial tribute “Night to Remember” is planned for April 14.
DESTINATIONS: For “up and coming” destinations for 2012, Croatia, Vietnam and Panama were named in an annual survey of 640 travel agents and owners from Travel Leaders. For top 10 international destinations based on 2012 booking data, the Travel Leaders survey listed Caribbean cruises; Cancún, Mexico; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Mediterranean cruises; Rome; London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Paris; Montego Bay and Negril, Jamaica.
Fodor’s Bowen put Cuba on her list of top destinations for 2012. U.S. citizens can now travel to Cuba legally even if they don’t have relatives there under new U.S. State Department regulations permitting certain types of trips. “Everyone wants to get in to see the country before everything changes,” said Bowen.
Interest in Myanmar is also increasing. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently visited, and an organization founded by activist Aung San Suu Kyi said it welcomes responsible tourism. Abercrombie & Kent has filled several tours and just added another departure for fall 2012.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: The aurora borealis or northern lights, those mysterious curtains of color seen in Northern Hemisphere skies, are caused by a cycle of magnetic activity on the sun. The cycle lasts about 11 years, and experts say a period of low activity is ending.
Some folks are predicting this will be a banner year for northern lights. The University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, which publishes auroral forecasts at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast, doesn’t necessarily foresee peak viewing in 2012, but agrees that we are entering a period of “increasing solar activity” with “more active, colorful aurora during the normal viewing season,” late August to late April (when there’s less daylight than during summer).
TECHNOLOGY: The smartphone has become the must-have tool for travel, offering GPS navigation, online bookings, scannable check-ins, and QR codes and locaters with information geared to wherever you are.
Ad agency JWT’s travel trend list for 2012 mentions apps like Uber, a cab-dispatching service; Postagram, which turns snapshots into postcards; and Vocre, an app that translates spoken words into other languages.
But never mind crowd-sourcing from websites where phony reviews and picky consumers make it hard to figure out the real deal. Instead, travelers are friend-sourcing, with sites like Trippy.com showing recommendations from your social networks. Another new app, Wenzani, takes content from guidebook publishers Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and DK and integrates it with advice from your friends and social networks.
ELECTION AND ECONOMY: Do presidential elections affect travel? A recent survey found 75 percent of U.S. Tour Operators Association members believe travel decreases in election years. Respondents said uncertainty and negative rhetoric keeps people home.
Still, 75 percent of USTOA members anticipate a growth in sales in 2012 as the economy improves. Eighty percent of agents and owners at Travel Leaders also said bookings for 2012 are so far equal to or higher than 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Here are some details on these and other destinations and trends.
EVENTS: The Summer Olympic Games take place in London, July 27-Aug. 12. For those without tickets, Hyde Park and other places will host live broadcasts of the games on giant outdoor screens. A three-month arts festival beginning June 21 will add a cultural component, from Shakespeare to music to street performers.
Great Britain will also celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee June 2-5. She is only the second British monarch after Queen Victoria to mark 60 years on the throne.
The Netherlands is planning Floriade, a horticultural expo that takes place once a decade. A 160-acre park with five different floral and nature themes opens April 5-Oct. 7, in Venlo, about 85 miles or two hours by train from Amsterdam; http://www.floriade.com.
The European Capitals of Culture for 2012 are Maribor, Slovenia, known for wines, a historic town center and nearby forests, waterfalls and moors; and Guimaraes, Portugal, known for crafts like goldsmithing, pottery and embroidery, and for its roots as the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, who established the country as an independent kingdom from Spain. Arabella Bowen, executive director of editorial and content strategy at the travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s, says both destinations are great values for food and hotels, with interesting attractions away from the crowds.
In the U.S., the bicentennial of the War of 1812 will be marked with tall ships, educational events and fireworks in several destinations, including June 6-12 in Norfolk, Va., and June 13-19 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.
TITANIC 100TH: The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank April 15, 1912, on its maiden voyage from England to New York. A variety of events in 2012 — including some cruises — will mark 100 years since the tragedy in which more than 1,500 died. Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic offers an extensive permanent Titanic exhibit but will also be hosting special exhibits and events for the April anniversary and into the summer. Visitors can also tour Halifax’s Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 Titanic victims are buried.
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland, and an enormous waterfront development called Titanic Quarter is taking shape on the site of the former shipyard, with hotels, eateries, parks, theaters and galleries. Titanic Belfast, an ultra-modern building whose shape and silvery color evokes ship hulls on the water, is set to open in April with Titanic-themed galleries and interactive exhibits. Southampton, England, which lost 549 locals when the ship went down, mostly crew members, is also opening a new interactive museum, Sea City, focusing on various aspects of the Titanic story.
Far from those ports, the Titanic Pigeon Forge attraction in Tennessee is a half-scale, three-deck reproduction of the ship. A centennial tribute “Night to Remember” is planned for April 14.
DESTINATIONS: For “up and coming” destinations for 2012, Croatia, Vietnam and Panama were named in an annual survey of 640 travel agents and owners from Travel Leaders. For top 10 international destinations based on 2012 booking data, the Travel Leaders survey listed Caribbean cruises; Cancún, Mexico; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Mediterranean cruises; Rome; London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Paris; Montego Bay and Negril, Jamaica.
Fodor’s Bowen put Cuba on her list of top destinations for 2012. U.S. citizens can now travel to Cuba legally even if they don’t have relatives there under new U.S. State Department regulations permitting certain types of trips. “Everyone wants to get in to see the country before everything changes,” said Bowen.
Interest in Myanmar is also increasing. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently visited, and an organization founded by activist Aung San Suu Kyi said it welcomes responsible tourism. Abercrombie & Kent has filled several tours and just added another departure for fall 2012.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: The aurora borealis or northern lights, those mysterious curtains of color seen in Northern Hemisphere skies, are caused by a cycle of magnetic activity on the sun. The cycle lasts about 11 years, and experts say a period of low activity is ending.
Some folks are predicting this will be a banner year for northern lights. The University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, which publishes auroral forecasts at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast, doesn’t necessarily foresee peak viewing in 2012, but agrees that we are entering a period of “increasing solar activity” with “more active, colorful aurora during the normal viewing season,” late August to late April (when there’s less daylight than during summer).
TECHNOLOGY: The smartphone has become the must-have tool for travel, offering GPS navigation, online bookings, scannable check-ins, and QR codes and locaters with information geared to wherever you are.
Ad agency JWT’s travel trend list for 2012 mentions apps like Uber, a cab-dispatching service; Postagram, which turns snapshots into postcards; and Vocre, an app that translates spoken words into other languages.
But never mind crowd-sourcing from websites where phony reviews and picky consumers make it hard to figure out the real deal. Instead, travelers are friend-sourcing, with sites like Trippy.com showing recommendations from your social networks. Another new app, Wenzani, takes content from guidebook publishers Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and DK and integrates it with advice from your friends and social networks.
ELECTION AND ECONOMY: Do presidential elections affect travel? A recent survey found 75 percent of U.S. Tour Operators Association members believe travel decreases in election years. Respondents said uncertainty and negative rhetoric keeps people home.
Still, 75 percent of USTOA members anticipate a growth in sales in 2012 as the economy improves. Eighty percent of agents and owners at Travel Leaders also said bookings for 2012 are so far equal to or higher than 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
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