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Alaska cruises topped the list of 2018 domestic locations for Travel Leaders Group agents, ascending to the top spot from fifth place in 2017, according to the company’s 2018 Travel Trends Survey.
Cruising in the state boomed from 1997 to 2008, but then several ships left the market. With some legislative assistance, Alaska cruise tourism rose again.
The destination cracked 1 million in 2016, and 1.1 million cruise passengers arrived in 2017. CLIA expects a 7% increase this year.
“Alaska is a truly unique bucket-list destination, and more and more people from around the world are discovering its awe-inspiring beauty,” Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement. “Our travel advisors frequently recommend it as a not-to-be-missed travel experience, especially for those interested in vivid scenery, wildlife or expedition travel.”
For the past few years, Alaska cruises have been among the top 10 U.S. trips that Travel Leaders Group agents have booked. This year it is at the top of the list for the first time.
Rounding out the top 10 domestic locations were, in order, Orlando, Las Vegas, Maui, New York City, Honolulu, Hawaiian cruises, Miami/Miami Beach, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
Caribbean cruises remained the top international destination booked by Travel Leaders Group agents in 2018, followed by Cancun; European river cruises; Mediterranean cruises; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Rome; London; Amsterdam; Montego Bay, Jamaica (tied in eighth place with Amsterdam); Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Mexico; and Paris.
Agents’ outlook on business in 2018 is positive. In total, 87.1% of agents said they were optimistic, up from 81.1% last year. Ten percent said they were neither optimistic nor pessimistic, down from 15.8% last year, and 2.7% said they were pessimistic, down from 3.1% last year.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 20 to Feb. 19, with responses from 1,355 North American-based agency owners, managers and agents. The responders came from several Travel Leaders Group brands, including Travel Leaders, All Aboard Travel, Cruise Specialists, Nexion, Protravel International, Travel Leaders Corporate and Tzell Travel Group.
Source: travelweekly.com
