The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) released the results of its annual travel trend and forecast survey of the association’s active tour operator members.
According to the survey, Italy was named the most popular destination for travellers in 2020 with Greece and UK in third place, and France coming in second.
“Europe has a very strong presence, which we saw in last year’s PwC survey reinforcing continued interest and growth in European travel among US consumers, driven by both more product and more demand,” said Terry Dale, President and CEO for USTOA.
In this year’s survey, Egypt, Croatia and Colombia tied as the top emerging or “off-the-beaten-path” destination for 2020. “Egypt topping the list is the epitome of a destination comeback story,” added Dale. “It reinforces a strong return in popularity and demand among travellers, after several challenging years.” Making the list for the first time, Slovenia was named second, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, and Morocco and Ethiopia (tied for fifth).
Members were also asked to name the destinations/sites that travellers should see now, with some sense of urgency due before overcrowding, climate change or other factors impact the experience. Antarctica was named first, followed by Machu Picchu in Peru, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Venice, Italy (tied for third).
