NEW YORK, June 8 — American travellers seem to be undeterred by travel alerts warning of potential terror strikes in Europe, with leisure organisation AAA reporting that Rome and London are their most popular bookings this summer.
Their list of the top 10 international summer destinations for travel between June 1 and August 15 is dominated by Europe, which takes five of the top spots, while the balance is divided between Canada and the Caribbean.
After Rome and London, Cancun, Vancouver, and Paris round out the top five spots.
The findings are interesting in light of the US State Department’s alert issued on travel to Europe which cites the risk of potential terror attacks.
Travel alerts are one grade down from travel warnings, which urge travellers to reconsider their travel plans to a country that may be experiencing civil war, intense crime, violence or frequent terror attacks.
The strength of the US greenback and favourable exchange rates are cited as some of the main factors motivating travellers to fly across the pond or drive across the border into Canada. Vancouver and Calgary also crack the top 10 list.
Meanwhile, more than half (56 per cent) of Americans surveyed said they plan to hit the road this summer to take advantage of the lowest summertime gas prices recorded in 11 years. Predictably, Orlando, Fla. takes top billing as the most popular domestic destination this summer, followed by Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles and Anaheim, Honolulu and Las Vegas.
Here are the top international bookings on AAA, for travel between June 1 and August 15:
Rome, Italy
London, England
Cancun, Mexico
Vancouver, Canada
Paris, France
Dublin, Ireland
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Calgary, Canada
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Top domestic destinations:
Orlando, Florida
Seattle, Washington
Los Angeles/Anaheim, California
Honolulu, Hawaii
Las Vegas, Nevada
Anchorage, Alaska
New York, New York
Maui, Hawaii
San Francisco, California
Denver, Colorado — AFP-Relaxnews
