IMAGECAPTION]PHOTO: Americans taking advantage of Brexit are making London a top travel destination this fall. (Photo courtesy Thinkstock)[/IMAGECAPTION]
Cuba, not Turkey.
London, for sure.
Those are the findings of two key travel companies released today after surveying Americans' fall travel preferences.
Squaremouth, the noted travel insurance group, used its extensive data of U.S. travelers securing trips with insurance to offer its insights on what will happen in the travel world this autumn.
With several U.S. commercial airlines set to take off for Cuba, Squaremouth found a 149 percent increase in Americans insuring trips to Cuba this fall - and an 80 percent decrease in customers traveling to Turkey this fall following continued unrest.
No surprise there, as 127 percent more customers were searching specifically for terrorism coverage when purchasing a policy. The number of travelers using Squaremouth's "Terrorism" filter to buy policies for Germany, Italy and Spain more than doubled compared to last fall
According to the full report, Italy remains the most popular international destination for U.S. travelers, followed by Mexico, Spain, France and Canada. South Africa had an 80 percent growth in booked travel.
Yet, interestingly, Travel Leaders Group has found that there's a "Brexit Benefit" for Americans looking to travel to England.
For the first time ever in its Fall Travel Survey, Travel Leaders Group found that London claimed the No. 1 ranking among international destinations.
"The Brexit vote and resulting fluctuation in the British pound has been incredibly favorable for American travelers, whether for leisure or business trips," Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement. "While London has always been among the top international destinations on our list, this is further proof that travelers are very willing to adjust and seize upon a prime opportunity when there's increased value in a particular destination."
Maui, Hawaii, also attained its first No. 1 ranking as Travel Leaders Group's Top U.S. Destination for the remainder of the year - last year it ranked third. Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas, and Alaska cruises rounded out the top five domestic destinations.
"Domestically, Maui has long been among the most sought after destinations for American travelers, but had never surpassed Orlando, Las Vegas or New York City for the top spot," Chacko said. "Because the Zika virus has had an impact on some individuals' travel decisions, particularly those who are pregnant, Maui's positioning has been bolstered by having no cases of locally-transmitted Zika."
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