Virtuoso Survey Reveals Top Dream Destinations, Travel Pursuits

PHOTO: Australia topped the list of dream destinations in a recent Virtuoso survey. Pictured is Adelaide. (Courtesy of Thinkstock)

With summer often providing travelers with extra opportunities to explore their dream destinations and pursue their favorite attractions, the timing couldn't be better for international luxury travel agency network Virtuoso to provide a glimpse into the results of its 2015 Travel Dreams Survey.

More than 5,800 travelers participated in the survey, which reveals the destinations and types of trips that are trending in 2015.

Overall, more than half of respondents (59 percent) indicated that they plan to take anywhere from one to three trips this year. Nearly one-third (29 percent) said they plan to take four to six trips, while only 12 percent will take seven or more trips in 2015. 

When it comes to the top dream destinations, Australia once again topped the list, followed by Italy, New Zealand, France and Greece. Ireland, the Caribbean, Fiji, England and Antarctica rounded out the top 10.

According to sales data from Virtuoso, Australia is the fastest-growing destination for luxury travelers. According to Virtuoso's data, bookings are up an impressive 137 percent from the same time period last year.

Once settled in their coveted locale, a majority of travelers hope to pursue cultural and historical attractions, with 42 percent of survey respondents in agreement. 

Meanwhile, cruising (40 percent) and adventure and nature trips (37 percent) are the second- and third-most popular travel pursuits respectively. Other notable trip pursuits include the beach (31 percent), family (25 percent), food and wine (24 percent), river cruising (22 percent), city getaways (19 percent), relaxation and spa (16 percent) and romantic (15 percent).

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