Travel Leaders Group "2013 Travel Trends Survey"

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Travel Leaders Group unveiled the 2013 results of its authoritative annual Travel Trends Survey.  Over 92% of Travel Leaders Group agents surveyed throughout the United States say clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2013 as compared to last year, and Europe – along with European cruising – appears to be driving much of that spending. Three of the top five international destinations and half of the top ten international destinations are European. Demand is also high as over 82% of the surveyed agents indicate that bookings are on par or greater than this time one year ago.

This survey, based on actual booking data, was conducted by Travel Leaders Group from November 19 - December 16, 2012, and includes responses from 1,045 U.S.-based travel agency owners, managers and frontline travel agents from the flagship Travel Leaders brand, along with those affiliated with Travel Leaders Group's Luxury Travel Network, Nexion, Results! Travel, Travel Leaders Corporate, Tzell Travel Group and Vacation.com units.

"Already, 2013 is shaping up to be a banner year for European travel.  While Caribbean cruises are still the number one international 'destination' for our travelers, our booking data shows a marked increase in American travelers headed across the Atlantic in the coming year," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.  "Rome and London always draw large numbers of travelers – this year each city moved up one spot to numbers four and five, respectively, on our list.  The biggest surprise for some may be the spectacular rebound for European cruises.  Mediterranean cruises landed in our top three for the first time ever and European river cruising is the ultimate 'hot' ticket – in just two years it has jumped 13 places to the eighth most booked international destination in our survey.  That's simply stunning."

"The continued uptick in travel spending year-over-year – and the fact that over 82% of agents state the number of bookings are the same or higher than last year at this time – may indicate that Americans are fairly confident we won't go over the 'fiscal cliff' and it goes hand-in-hand with travelers heading to more distant and unique destinations," added Liben.  "Certain destinations will be perennial favorites, such as Orlando and Las Vegas, but for travelers interested in staying ahead of the pack, we also identify the top up-and-coming destinations. This year we looked at four different regions around the world and the results vary from New Zealand and Vietnam to Croatia and Ecuador, including the Galapagos. That's a very positive indicator for our industry."

Top "Up and Coming" International Destinations:

When asked for their expert findings, Travel Leaders Group agents nationally indicate the following are the top "up and coming" international destinations.

• Europe "Up and Coming": Croatia (34.9%), Turkey (12.9%), Czech Republic (12.2%), Portugal (10.9%), and Iceland (9.87%)
• Pacific "Up and Coming":  New Zealand (27.8%), Fiji (13.6%), Tahiti (13.0%), Bora Bora (12.8%), and Australia – South Australia (5.4%).  It should be noted that if Australia wasn't broken out by state, it would be second behind New Zealand with 16.3%.
• Asia/Southeast Asia "Up and Coming": Vietnam (48.3%), Indonesia (7.6%), Burma/Myanmar (7.2%), Cambodia (7.2%), and Malaysia (6.8%).
• Central/South America "Up and Coming": Ecuador and Galapagos Islands (18.2%), Panama (17.5%), Peru (17.1%), Brazil (16.8%), and Argentina (10.5%).

Travel Spending in 2013:

Based on current bookings to date for 2013 and conversations with clients, over 92% of Travel Leaders Group agents surveyed say clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2013 (53.1% say clients will spend more while 39.1% say spending will remain the same). That percentage is up over 2012 when 91.3% said clients would spend the same or more than in 2011.

Top Destinations: U.S. and International Based on Actual 2013 Bookings:

The following lists display the top international and domestic destinations for 2013 (agents were asked to name up to five top destinations they're already booking for 2013):

To see the full news release with additional trends and data, please go here.

SOURCE Travel Leaders Group