Alaskan Cruises Top 2015 Travel Trends

Travel Leaders Group has unveiled the 2015 results of its authoritative annual Travel Trends Survey. Based on the findings, there is a major shake-up among the most popular U.S. destinations heading into the New Year - the rugged and untamed beauty of Alaska, enjoyed via cruising, has dethroned Las Vegas and stands at number one in an extremely tight contest that also includes Orlando, Maui, and New York City.

The single, hottest destination trend in travel last year - European river cruising - jumps up another spot in 2015 to number four on the Top International Destinations list, just behind Caribbean cruising, Cancun (Mexico) and London, respectively. This year's survey results also reveal that 96.5 percent of travel agents surveyed state that client spending will be the same or higher in the coming year and 85 percent of agents indicate that 2015 bookings are on par or greater than this time one year ago.

"For the past a decade and a half, Las Vegas and Orlando have jockeyed for the top spot in our survey. So what we are seeing - even if mere tenths of a percentage point separate our top four destinations - is a seismic shift for American travelers in 2015. Alaska is vast, so cruising enables one to see so much more of this enormously and stunningly beautiful area - plus, this type of vacation, which can be perceived as slightly rustic, can be as luxurious as one desires," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.

"Internationally, while Caribbean cruising leads the way, Europe is drawing in Americans in the highest numbers we've seen this millennium. Eight of the top 15 international destinations this year are 'across the pond,' including London (#3), European river cruises (#4), Rome (#5), Mediterranean cruises (#6) and Paris (#7). The strong interest for those destinations plays a definite factor in our agents stating nearly 97 percent of their clients will be spending the same or more on their vacations in 2015."

The following lists display the top domestic and international destinations based on actual 2015 bookings:

Domestic
1. Cruise - Alaska
2. Orlando, FL
3. Maui, HI
4. New York City, NY
5. Las Vegas, NV

International
1. Cruise - Caribbean
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. London, England
4. Cruise - Europe (river)
5. Rome, Italy