Winter destinations grow diverse as travelers willing to cross globe.
An increasing number of travelers are willing to jet across the globe
WHERE are residents of the United States traveling this fall and winter? Pretty much everywhere. The 10 most popular vacation destinations cover nearly every continent, even Antarctica, compared with several years ago, when the lineup wasn’t nearly as diverse. Why the shift? Ignacio Maza, the executive vice president of Signature Travel Network, a group of travel agents and hotels, said it’s because an increasing number of travelers have a global mindset and are willing to go anywhere. “Many destinations used to have an offseason and peak season, but the concept of seasonality is disappearing and so is the idea that anyplace is too far,” he said.
The top locales are more varied this fall and winter, and there are also more U.S. residents traveling, compared with fall and winter last year: Signature, with $7 billion in annual sales, is on track to have $500 million in trip sales for this fall and winter, an increase of 15 percent, compared with last year; Maza said that this number does not include sales of airline tickets.
At American Express Travel, a network primarily for leisure travelers, overall travel this fall and winter is up 29 percent, based on airfare bookings, and the New York City travel company Ovation Vacations, which generates $400 million a year in leisure sales, has seen a 29 percent increase, compared with last year, in sales for fall and winter trips, according to the company’s president, Jack Ezon.
Below, our list of the five most popular getaway spots come autumn and through the winter. If these don’t pique your interest, maybe the destinations on the bottom half of the top 10 list will: Paris, Bali, Israel, Antarctica and South Africa.
Portugal:
The country has become a must-see country, Maza said. “Signature now sells several thousand trips to Portugal a year, but five years ago, it used to be several hundred,” he said.
The travel search engine Kayak has seen searches to Lisbon for fall travel increase 46 percent, compared with last fall, and Made for Spain and Portugal, a Madrid-based company which sells luxury trips to Portugal, has sold 30 percent more trips to the country for this fall and winter, compared with last year, said the company’s founder, Virginia Irurita. “Portugal has lots of cultural attractions, a sophisticated wine and food scene and is a great value for money,” she said. And the weather in winter tends to be mild.
New York City:
It’s a city that never goes out of favor. New York has consistently been the second most-searched destination on Kayak, according to David Solomito, the company’s vice president of North America marketing. American Express Travel has seen a 35 percent increase for fall bookings to New York City, compared with last fall, and Ovation has seen sales for winter trips to the city increase 25 percent, compared with last winter.
Ezon said his clients are interested in feeling like locals and are choosing to stay in properties in residential neighborhoods. “Our clients have been to New York many times before, but now, they want a nontouristy experience,” he said.
Mexico:
Given the recent earthquakes in Mexico, along with the travel warning the U.S. State Department issued about safety in parts of the country, it may be a surprise that it is among the 10 most desired destinations this winter. Ezon said that the earthquakes and recent hurricanes have had minimal or no impact on Mexico’s popular beach getaways.
The company has sold the most trips to the Riviera Maya, but also saw significant sales for Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta trips. Cancún is among the top 10 cities with the most hotel bookings for this fall and winter. “When it comes to their annual beach vacations this year, Mexico is where people want to go,” Ezon said.
London:
The recent terrorist attacks in Britain don’t appear to have led to a dip in travelers considering or booking fall and winter vacations to the capital city: Kayak, Ovation and American Express Travel all report that London is among their top destinations. American Express Travel, for one, has seen a 45 percent increase in trip sales to London for this fall and winter.
Australia:
Maza said that Australia is a dream destination for many American travelers. “You have vibrant cities like Sydney, fantastic beaches and nature and world-class food and wine,” he said. “And since September through February are the country’s summer months, vacationers are in store for warm weather.”