American Express Travel recently surveyed nearly 200 of its Travel Counselors on top destinations and travel trends they are seeing from their customers for 2014.
Traveling abroad will be popular. According to the survey, 52 percent of the Travel Counselors surveyed indicated travelers are planning international getaways, and 45 percent of respondents reported many adventurers are planning both domestic and international trips next year.
"Travel tends to make the list of new year resolutions," said Claire Bennett, executive vice president of American Express Travel. "For those who are looking to get away in 2014, we wanted to ask our Travel Counselors what they are seeing as the latest travel trends and share them to help inspire inclined jetsetters. In 2014, we are seeing that some travelers will want to re-explore tried and true favorites and others are looking into more unchartered waters for a new adventure."
The most popular destinations for 2014 include: Seychelles, Brazil, Vietnam, Alaska, Grenada, New Zealand, Croatia, Bhutan, Norway and Greece.
What are travelers ultimately looking for?
Well, according to the survey, arts and culture topped the list, followed by ultra-luxury travel, culinary travel, solo travel and train travel.
River cruising will also continue to be popular in 2014, with popular destinations including the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Cambodia, Vietnam and South America.
There is expected to be an increase in adventure travel, but Travel Counselors are calling it "soft adventure," meaning travelers will opt for exotic locales instead of extreme sports.
Interestingly enough, chilly destinations appear to be getting more popular, including the Arctic, Alaska and Antarctica.
Traveling appears to be more inclusive of personal hobbies, too. Whether travelers are cycling through the French Alps, taking cooking classes in Italy or surfing in Costa Rica, they appear to be incorporating more of themselves into their adventures.
Family travel remains popular, but now more families are including multiple generations into their plans. In effect, Travel Counselors are seeing a rise in both villa and all-inclusive vacation requests.
While some things will remain constant in 2014, there does appear to be a shift in several areas.
The world continues to evolve.
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