WATCH: Mark Murphy Talks 2017 Travel Trends

Image: PHOTO: travAlliancemedia President and CEO Mark Murphy is a big fan of Japan. (photo courtesy of travAlliancemedia) (Murphy Travels on YouTube)
Image: PHOTO: travAlliancemedia President and CEO Mark Murphy is a big fan of Japan. (photo courtesy of travAlliancemedia) (Murphy Travels on YouTube)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 10:45 AM ET, Wed January 4, 2017

The new year signals a fresh start for travelers, and in an effort to pinpoint some of the hot destinations that should be on their minds in 2017, travAlliancemedia president and CEO Mark Murphy stopped by FOX29 Philadelphia Tuesday to reveal some of this winter's trending hotspots.

"Vietnam is booming. People want to go to Vietnam. They want to experience a pretty much untouched destination from a tourism standpoint," said Murphy. "One of the best ways to see it is via river cruise because you have the opportunity to get out and get to the local villages and do it without unpacking and packing constantly."

Murphy also recommends Eastern Europe-Poland in particular. However, the strength of the U.S. dollar has opened up plenty of possibilities for travelers in the coming year.

"The dollar has gotten so strong that you can travel pretty much anywhere you want in the world at a 30 to 40 percent discount versus three or four years ago," added Murphy.

But while air travelers can expect to save on their ticket this winter, Murphy warns that airlines are finding new ways to make that money back.

"Airfare is going to continue to go down. The problem is the ancillary fees," says Murphy, who points out that flying nonstop is one way to avoid a pileup of fees.

You can view Murphy's complete breakdown of 2017 travel trends, including the latest on Cuba, during his appearance on FOX29 Philadelphia below.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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