Royal Holiday Vacation Clubs 2017 Travel Trends: Experts Predicting a Great Year for Tourism

As 2017 starts, many tourists are looking at the possibility of traveling sometime during the year. For many people, 2016 has been a trying year and thus they view the New Year as a welcome opportunity to escape to some far away or near paradise where they can relax as well as have fun.

An American Automobile Association (AAA) survey was carried out in the US and it showed that almost one-third adults in the country are looking forward to traveling to other parts of the world when compared to 2016. Today, some 42 percent of Americans are aching to take time off from work later down in 2017 to journey to their dream destination, especially to places where the weather is warm.

Since the beginning of the year, experts predicted that flight prices would be higher by 8 percent. However, travelers are not the least disturbed by this raise, especially seeing that prices are still remaining lower by 9 percent than they were two years ago.

The vice president of AAA who is head of publishing and travel Bill Sutherland said in a recent statement recently, “There is a lot of pent-up demand for travel in the New Year”. He went on further to say, “Whether they are taking a trip to a well-known domestic destination or visiting an exotic internationally locale, today’s travelers are seeking experiences that are unique and immersive”

Still, the big question that is on everyone’s mind is where the best travel destinations are. Therefore, here are some places touted by experienced family travel experts where people can travel to in 2017.

Cuba

Photo CC by Allan Hopkins

Since the introduction of commercial flights to Cuba, interest among tourists has skyrocketed. It is reported that an increase of 191 percent of searches has already took place online since the start of 2017, which is an increase over 2016 searches. Already, top airlines taking passengers to Cuba are taking advantage of the interest shown and are offering flash sales to the country.

KAYAK’s VP for North America marketing Dave Solomito said, “Havana has dominated headlines over this past year, so between that and increased accessibility, we are not surprised to see it take the top spot on the list” .

Canada

Canada, which is America’s northern neighbor, is still thriving with an explosion of visitors and the trend is expected to continue down to the end of 2017. In fact, both the New York Times and the Lonely Planet named the country the top travel hot spot for 2017.

2017 will see the country celebrating its 150th birthday and foreigners from all over the world are expected to flock the nation in anticipation of taking part in the great celebration. In addition, the dollar is still strong and thus carries much buying power. Experts today are still encouraging people to travel to countries where the dollar is strong so that they can get plenty opportunities to save.

Iceland

Photo CC by Moyan Brenn.

According to travel experts, Iceland is still a wonderful tourist attraction and will remain so throughout the remainder of 2017. Solomito made it clear to everyone saying, “Reykjavik continues to be a hot spot – it has placed on the top trending destinations lists for our last two Travel Hacker Guides”.

KAYAK named Iceland the number two best destination to travel to in 2017. Coupled with a 77 percent increase in online search and cheap flights to accommodate visitors, the island is now well into an extensive marketing campaign to target travelers who are looking to have a fun time away from home.

Dave Solomito also adds, “There are many reasons why Reykjavik continues to trend, from Icelander’s free stopover offer to the country’s breathtaking beauty (which will make you feel like you are on another planet) to the diverse range of experiences – volcanoes, hot springs and geysers”. He continued by saying, “Not to mention – it is a quick flight from the East Coast”.

Ireland

Photo CC by Giuseppe Milo.

Ireland, which is also known as the famous Emerald Isle is an awesome place to visit in 2017. In fact, air flights to this paradise have lowered, thus, benefiting travelers who want to visit this island heaven in the sun. In addition, travel experts are hinting that the island is one of the safest places in Europe to explore in 2017.

Scenic places to see when in Ireland are castles, olden architecture, churches and picturesque waterfront. Vacationers can also visit pubs, fish and chip shops as well as other terrific places. A well-known place that vacationers love to visit when they are in the island is Cork’s English Market, which has a rich history dating back to 1788.

New Zealand and Australia

Auckland and Sydney are already trending and throughout the rest of 2017 they will get even better. With the opening of new flight routes in both countries, vacationers are making their way to them in growing numbers. Apart from new flight routes taking effect in New Zealand, the country is also benefiting from a strong dollar, thus, strengthening the economy.

Solomito has this to say to travelers seeking a holiday destination in 2017, “In the last year and a half, several new routes to both cities have opened; offering more options and often times, lower cost.

In addition, good news for travelers looking to book a flight to Auckland – the New Zealand dollar is on the decline, so now is the time to go stretch your dollar. On the reverse, the Australian dollar is on the rise, but that does not appear to be slowing down interest”.

Great destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef are experiencing a chaotic time because of the threat of climate change looming. Still, the Points Guy travel hacker experts are predicting that tourism will see an increase in 2017.

Although it is still early times in 2017, the year seems like a great time for tourism to boom. With some air fare to certain travel hot spots down, people who can afford a holiday will opt for one, even if it is a short stay overseas. After all, since 2016 was a grueling year for some, why should not they look at the brighter side of things and go ahead and take a badly needed vacation in 2017 to one of the trending destinations mentioned in this article.