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It's only been a few weeks since the Obama administration first announced plans to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba, but already the Caribbean country is emerging as a premier destination.
Travel Leaders Group's 2015 luxury travel trends survey of 844 Travel Leaders Group owners, managers and frontline travel experts recently revealed that Cuba is among the top up and coming experiences and destinations for luxury travelers.
"The real destination to watch is Cuba, which already was appearing quite high on the list, even though the survey was launched prior to the President's announcement of a process to normalize relations," said Tzell President J.D. O'Hara in a statement.
"It shows how much pent-up demand there truly is for legal travel to Cuba, particularly among luxury travelers who want an authentic experience before the country undergoes rapid change and modernization as a tourist destination."
In addition to Cuba, Africa Safaris, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Croatia and Vietnam were revealed to be among the top up-and-coming luxury experiences and destinations in 2015.
However, when it comes to the top luxury destinations outside of North America right now, Europe continues to dominate, with European river cruises, Italy, Mediterranean cruises and France filling out the top four for 2015.
"While there is an extensive list of 'up and coming' destinations which our luxury travel clients are booking that are more exotic, our high-end travel clients are very loyal to the upscale experiences and charms - both old-world and modern - that Europe offers," noted Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.
Australia, England, Baltic cruises, Germany, Ireland and South Africa round out the top 10 luxury travel destinations outside of North America.
Within North America, Travel Leaders Group's survey revealed Mexico, Caribbean cruises, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica to be the top luxury travel destinations.
When it comes to the top regions of the world for luxury travel, Western Europe slightly edges out cruises and Southern Europe for the top spot, with 19.4 percent of surveyed travel agents pointing out that a majority of their luxury travel bookings are for destinations in Western Europe.
"The incredibly strong U.S. Dollar-versus the euro-is already having an impact on travel to Europe. Luxury travelers are savvy and, while they may spend more than the average American, they still want the greatest value for the money they're spending," said Patrick Fragale, President of Protravel International.
"While a trip to Italy may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many Americans, luxury travelers will go back time and time again for the rich culture, amazing history, incredible cuisine and unparalleled scenery. Because of the incredibly favorable exchange rate, plus the advantages that many luxury travelers have in terms of time and money, they are once again being enticed by Europe," he added.
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