2016 Fastest-Growing Destinations: Travel to Alternative Destinations Surges, Says Squaremouth Report

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Nov 18, 2016, 03:54 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cuba and Iceland were the fastest-growing destinations for American travelers in 2016, highlighting a trend of larger numbers of travelers choosing alternative destinations, according to sales data from leading travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

"The number of U.S. travelers buying travel insurance for trips to Cuba more than doubled this year," said Squaremouth spokesperson Rachael Taft. "Overall, we've seen alternative destinations grow at a much faster rate than traditionally popular destinations like France and the United States."

Fastest-Growing International Destinations for U.S. Travelers*

1.	Cuba (153%)	6.	Thailand (31%)
2.	Iceland (88%)	7.	Spain (28%)
3.	Canada (47%)	8.	Vietnam (26%)
4.	Japan (33%)	9.	South Africa (24%)
5.	Belize (31%)	10.	Ireland (24%)

*Fastest-growing destinations for American travelers ranked by year-over-year growth from 2015 to 2016

Travel to Fastest-Growing Destinations Becomes More Affordable
Travel became more affordable for many of the 10 fastest-growing destinations in 2016.

Six of the top 10 fastest-growing destinations saw a year-over-year decrease in average trip cost
Despite being the fastest-growing destination, American travelers are spending less for trips to Cuba, with a 32% decrease in spending on summer trips
The average trip cost increased for Canada, the only fast-growing destination that is also among the top five most popular destinations

	2016 Average Trip Cost	YoY Change
Cuba	$3,968	-9.3%
Iceland	$3,528	2.3%
Canada	$2,679	6.4%
Japan	$3,187	-8.1%
Belize	$2,685	-8.8%
Thailand	$1,947	-12%
Spain	$3,836	0.3%
Vietnam	$3,547	7.1%
South Africa	$7,715	-9.4%
Ireland	$3,469	-2.9%

Sluggish Growth Among Traditionally Popular Destinations
As alternative destinations surge in popularity, traditionally popular destinations like the United States, the Bahamas, and France are stagnating.

The United States remains the top destination for American travelers, but its share of overall travelers has declined for three years in a row
Due to its slow growth rate, France fell out of the top five destinations for the first time in five years
At 6.6%, the Bahamas had the slowest year-over-year growth rate of the 10 most popular destinations

Methodology: Data is based on the top 30 destinations for American customers insured on travel insurance policies purchased through Squaremouth prior to Nov. 10 of the respective year. Travelers who are visiting multiple countries only have to enter one destination when purchasing a policy on Squaremouth.com.

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH
Squaremouth compares travel insurance policies from every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth's comparison engine and third-party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare insurance products side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com.

Available Topic Expert:
Rachael Taft
[email protected]
(727) 264-5174

SOURCE Squaremouth