Europe Vacation 2005 ?
A hot tub after hiking, or a spa apres ski.
And a vacation in Europe - despite the weak dollar, despite the Madrid bombing. Soft adventure and trips abroad are two of the biggest trends in travel as the tourism industry continues to rebound from its post-9/11 slump.
"It's the first year since 2000 that all travel industry sectors are showing increases in demand," according to the Travel Industry of America. TIA forecasts travel spending in the U.S. to increase 6.9 per cent in 2004, while the Air Transport Association predicts a five per cent increase in air passengers.
With travel on the rise as the new year begins, here's a look at popular destinations and types of vacations:
Europe: Surprise! The weak dollar didn't keep Americans from going to Europe. "2004 is shaping up as the second-best year ever for travel to Europe," according to the European Travel Commission, with a projected 12.7 million Americans crossing the pond in 2004, 20 per cent more than 2003 and nearing 2000's record-setting 13.1 million.
The United Kingdom and France have been the top destinations for Americans for a number of years, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, and that is not expected to change once the 2003-04 figures are tallied.
But industry experts say Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe are increasingly popular. U.S. arrivals in Italy are projected at 3.8 million for 2004, up from 3.4 million in 2003, according to the Italian Tourist Office, and unusual itineraries are all the rage, like Go Ahead Vacations' Tuscan Spa Week (www.goaheadvacations.com, 800-590-1170) or a tour of the Italian lakes district.
And while learn-to-cook trips to Italy are trendy, Spain "has been crowned by the media as the new hot place for great food," according to Katerina Pavlitova, a member of the European Travel Commission's executive committee.
(Source AP)
And a vacation in Europe - despite the weak dollar, despite the Madrid bombing. Soft adventure and trips abroad are two of the biggest trends in travel as the tourism industry continues to rebound from its post-9/11 slump.
"It's the first year since 2000 that all travel industry sectors are showing increases in demand," according to the Travel Industry of America. TIA forecasts travel spending in the U.S. to increase 6.9 per cent in 2004, while the Air Transport Association predicts a five per cent increase in air passengers.
With travel on the rise as the new year begins, here's a look at popular destinations and types of vacations:
Europe: Surprise! The weak dollar didn't keep Americans from going to Europe. "2004 is shaping up as the second-best year ever for travel to Europe," according to the European Travel Commission, with a projected 12.7 million Americans crossing the pond in 2004, 20 per cent more than 2003 and nearing 2000's record-setting 13.1 million.
The United Kingdom and France have been the top destinations for Americans for a number of years, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, and that is not expected to change once the 2003-04 figures are tallied.
But industry experts say Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe are increasingly popular. U.S. arrivals in Italy are projected at 3.8 million for 2004, up from 3.4 million in 2003, according to the Italian Tourist Office, and unusual itineraries are all the rage, like Go Ahead Vacations' Tuscan Spa Week (www.goaheadvacations.com, 800-590-1170) or a tour of the Italian lakes district.
And while learn-to-cook trips to Italy are trendy, Spain "has been crowned by the media as the new hot place for great food," according to Katerina Pavlitova, a member of the European Travel Commission's executive committee.
(Source AP)
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