Virtuoso names 10 top places for summer travel - Greece among top romantic spots

Luxury travel network Virtuoso, using its data warehouse of more than $39.7 billion in transactions, named the top choices for U.S. travelers during the upcoming 2017 summer season. According to global travel market research company Phocuswright, seven in 10 travelers have a strong wanderlust to see the world. So as is typical for summer travel, Europe dominates the list of Virtuoso travelers with eight of the 10 countries.

Top Summer Destinations: The 10 most popular destinations for summer vacations based on future bookings are: 1) Italy, 2) United Kingdom, 3) France, 4) Spain, 5) South Africa, 6) Germany, 7) Ireland, 8) Canada, 9) Netherlands, and 10) Denmark.

Italy continues its reign atop the list, followed by the U.K., France and Spain. These four countries fit with a trend identified by Phocuswright: the desire to visit natural and cultural attractions is the top influencer for Americans when selecting destinations. The relative strength of the U.S. dollar against both the euro and British pound also makes Europe a particularly appealing destination for 2017.

South Africa bookings for summer travel continue to rise strongly, as more adventurous travelers head there for safaris, scenery and authentic experiences. Countries with strong ocean and river cruising appeal are benefiting from robust interest in those segments, as travelers extend their vacations with pre- and post-cruise stays in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Ireland continues to lure travelers enchanted by its historic charm and lively culture, while Canada’s strong showing is due to its proximity to the U.S., the purchasing power Americans currently enjoy there, and heightened interest around its 150th anniversary. Data is sourced from Virtuoso’s U.S.-based travel agency members and reflects future travel between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays in 2017.

Separately, Virtuoso earlier this month unveiled the results of a survey it did with Brides magazine on the top honeymoon destinations, resorts, cruise lines and all-inclusive brands. Brides developed the survey for the Virtuoso network of travel agencies and the results determined the winners of the annual Honeymoon Awards, which are unveiled in the June-July 2017 issue and on Brides.com.

The awards recognize 200 winners in 19 different categories that together create a compendium of the world’s foremost honeymoon destinations, resorts, cruise lines, and all-inclusive brands. A group of Virtuoso travel advisors worldwide shared their opinions via a survey in January 2017.

Romantic Destinations: According to the survey, the world’s 10 most romantic destinations in order are 1) French Polynesia, 2) Italy, 3) Hawaii, 4) Maldives, 5) Greece, 6) Bali, 7) Mexico, 8) Thailand, 9) Fiji and 10) South Africa.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Source: insidertravelreport.com