The USTOA’s annual member survey shows that Peru and China tied for the title of third most popular destination for American travelers, only behind Italy and United Kingdom/Britain.
When asked to name the top three “off-the-beaten-path” or emerging destinations that will gain popularity in 2014, members cited Myanmar (for the second year in a row), Vietnam and Cambodia (tied for second,) and India.
“Nearly 40 percent of members named Europe as the region of the world offering the most experiential travel options, perhaps not surprising given the wealth of cultural and gastronomic experiences available,” said USTOA president Terry Dale.
Asia ranked second, named by 21 percent, followed by South America, named by 12 percent of members.
Among emerging experiential trends in the industry, more than three-quarters of members (77 percent) named river cruises as a top trend; with sports travel to events like the World Cup and Olympics coming in second (37 percent), faith-based travel third at 23 percent and travel related to pop entertainment (TV and film destinations), at nearly 9 percent.
(END) DLG/EEP