At the top of America's "wish list" is Italy, closely followed by Australia. They are joined in the top five by New Zealand, the United Kingdom and France. However, Italy was the clear standout in Europe, with twice as many respondents indicating that they wished to travel there over the United Kingdom and France combined.
NEW YORK – Fly.com announced the findings of its inaugural New Year Travel Resolutions Survey, which identifies America’s most desired destinations for the new year.
At the top of America’s “wish list” is Italy, closely followed by Australia. They are joined in the top five by New Zealand, the United Kingdom and France. However, Italy was the clear standout in Europe, with twice as many respondents indicating that they wished to travel there over the United Kingdom and France combined. At a regional level, a preference for travel to countries within Europe and Oceania resulted in the two regions accounting for nearly 60% of all responses.
2013 Top 10 Most Desired Countries
1. Italy
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. United Kingdom (tie)
France (tie)
6. United States
7. Ireland
8. Spain
9. Fiji
10. South Africa
For Asian destinations, India edged out other countries to take the top spot for that region. The combined popularity of India, Japan, Thailand, China and Vietnam helped propel Asia to be the third most desired region to visit. However, no individual Asian country was able to secure a spot among the top 10 most desired destinations.
The United States ranked sixth in the list of most desired countries, and North America was fourth in the regional rankings. This demonstrates that many Americans still enjoy visiting and exploring the many wonders of their own vast continent.
“It is no surprise that Italy is at the top of America’s wish list for 2013,” said Warren Chang, vice president and general manager, Fly.com. “The destination conjures up images of romance, history and some of the finest food and wine in the world. However, as with any worthy new year’s resolution, we recommend acting on the intention right away. Booking flights well in advance can help travelers save a fortune. Being flexible is also key. For example, a tool like Fly.com’s Fare Calendars can help travelers save hundreds of dollars from one day to the next by providing visibility on when it is cheapest to fly.”
The Fly.com survey questioned 875 U.S. travelers Dec. 1-13 about which countries they would most like to visit within North America, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania/Antarctic if money and time were not objects. All respondents were Travelzoo Inc. and Fly.com users.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
