Travel trends toward Canada, river cruises

For would-be vacationers who easily succumb to strong cases of wanderlust, experiential trips, national park visits, river cruising, and travel to Canada and Europe are expected to be popular options this year, industry specialists say.

“Whether they’re taking a road trip to a well-known domestic destination or visiting an exotic international location, today’s travelers are seeking experiences that are unique and immersive,” said Joseph J. Richardson, president and CEO, AAA — The Auto Club Group, of growing consumer travel trends.

A record 2.7 million Americans visited Britain during the first three quarters of 2016, an increase of 3 percent from the same period in 2015, according to Visit-Britain, the official tourist board for England, Scotland and Wales.

Spending by Americans in Britain also hit a record 2.5 billion pounds sterling (about $3.1 billion) between January and September. That was a 9 percent increase from the prior year, the tourist agency said.

“These strong numbers show how much Americans enjoy exploring the culture, heritage, cities and countryside of Britain,” said Paul Gauger, Visit-Britain’s interim executive vice president, in announcing the record visitation stats. “It’s a great time to visit the U.K., and enjoy the benefits of how much further your dollar can take you.”

Overall, 75 percent of Floridians plan to take vacations this year, with the majority expected to travel to warm weather destinations in the U.S. and overseas, results of a recent AAA consumer travel survey show.

Nearly half — 46 percent — of Floridians said they planned to take two to three vacations this year, with the majority of trips occurring between April and June, AAA said.

Across the U.S., cities like Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Miami Beach are already trending among the hot travel destinations for 2017, according to AAA and wholesale broker Tourico Holidays.

New domestic and international air service coming this year at select South Florida airports is also helping to make travel to and from the region more attractive, experts say.

For example, in April, Icelandic budget carrier WOW Air will begin flying nonstop between Miami International Airport and Reykjavik, Iceland. In September, Aer Lingus will start flying to Dublin.

British Airways will begin nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in July to London’s Gatwick Airport, and in August, Scandinavian low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle will launch service to Barcelona.

Besides South Florida, top domestic travel destinations in 2017 include Washington, as well as

Anaheim, Calif., and Las Vegas, specialists at travel websites Orbitz and AAA say.

Overall, travelers can expect to see lower average U.S. airfares this year, especially compared to a decade or two ago, said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.

“We’re not going to see a huge increase in fares, if any at all this year,” he said Friday.

That’s due in part to growing competition between legacy and budget carriers in key domestic markets, as well as the expanding footprint of foreign low-cost carriers on popular international routes, he said.

This year, American Airlines and United Airlines are rolling out cheaper “basic economy” airfares, joining rival Delta Air Lines, which has first offered this fare type in select destinations in early 2012 before expanding it more broadly to other markets.

By offering these cheaper fares, legacy carriers are attempting to compete on a level playing field with low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines, Hobica said.

“Spirit is so big in Fort Lauderdale that I think you’ll see a lot of those [basic economy] fares coming out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport,” he noted.

With basic economy fares, on some airlines travelers will be charged extra for large carry-on bags stored in overhead bins that can’t fit under the front seat and travelers can’t choose seats in advance for free, among other restrictions, Hobica said.

Still, experts warn that consumers should do their homework before buying basic fares to ensure they’re really the best deal for their travel needs.

Here are some other insights to consider if traveling in 2017:

Airfare deals: Among the cheapest times to fly in 2017 include now through March 5, excluding the blackout period of Saturday through Feb. 24, said Rick Seaney, co-founder of travel website FareCompare.com. If flying this spring, take trips before April 1, and for early summer, travel by June 2, to avoid the peak season, he said. And for summer travel, the best fare deals are typically found on flights before June 20. After that, another key airfare deal time is mid-to-late August when kids head back to school.

Airports: U.S. airports will continue to spruce up their facilities and add more services such as expanded and enhanced dining and shopping choices, Hobica predicts. But new construction may add to confusion and delays getting to and from some airports.

Cruising: Cruise lines are increasingly using technology to offer customers a more seamless and personalized cruise vacation experience and travelers can expect to see more of that in 2017, cruise specialists say. Operators are also launching newer ships and more of them with upgraded dining, entertainment and energy-saving and environmental features on board.

Port Everglades and PortMiami have already welcomed two new cruise ships each during the current fiscal years running from Oct. 1, 2016 through Sept. 30. Still, a handful of more new vessels are set to debut later this year, including Silversea Cruises’ Silver Muse, which will arrive in mid-October in Port Everglades for the 2017-18 winter season,

MSC Seaside, the newest ship from MSC Cruises, will sail into PortMiami in early December for year-round cruises to the Caribbean.

This year, an estimated 25.3 million passengers globally are expected to take a cruise, up from the 24 million forecast in 2016, according to the Washingtonbased trade group Cruise Lines International Association.

Hotels: The U.S. hotel industry is forecast to see slower but steady growth this year through 2018, according to recent joint forecast from industry trackers STR and Tourism Economics. Nationwide, hotel occupancy is expected to dip 0.3 percent to 65.3 percent, while average daily rate for rooms will rise 2.8 percent to $127.34. That means consumers could see more attractive rates in markets where a large number of new rooms are opening such as South Florida, particularly in offpeak travel periods.