The US has taken top spot in Titan Travel’s first travel trends report on the escorted touring and cruise holiday market.
The operator’s top 25 escorted touring destinations are listed, based on bookings for 2019, as Titan seeks to increase its profile as one as one of the largest specialists in the sector.
The report – to be produced annually and distributed to agents and consumers – lists the US followed by Italy, Canada, India and South Africa in the top five.
For the past few years, Italy has been Titan’s most popular destination out of the more than 60 it offers.
Managing director Andy Squirrell said the US’s diversity helped propel it back into pole position, despite no dramatic drop in prices. He said: “The US has found it tricky for the last few years, whether for political reasons or because of the weak pound versus the US dollar, and people may have paused in terms of going there. But the destination is still on a lot of people’s lists.”
The report highlighted a trend for holidaymakers to be more adventurous, with interest in off-the-beaten-track destinations such as Uzbekistan, Armenia and Georgia, driven by TV shows such as Joanna Lumley’s ITV series Silk Road. Armenia makes the top 25 for the first time at number 20.
Egypt has jumped 21 places to 16th on the list, suggesting increased consumer confidence in the destination.
Squirrell said: “We are seeing that Egypt has had a period of relative stability, coupled with the fact it is comparatively short‑haul and represents good value for money. It could be that people are looking at destinations just beyond the EU that offer great value.”
The report does not highlight a ‘Brexit backlash’. Squirrell said: “People still want to go to Europe.”
Other destinations increasing in popularity include Central America, where passengers booked to travel in 2019 versus 2018 are up by 90%; Vietnam; Kenya; Switzerland, where bookings are up 40%; and Cyprus, which has risen 25 places to 24th on the list. Cuba has been named as a “bounce-back” destination.
The operator also notes luxury cruises in East and southeast Asia have become more popular, as have soft-adventure small-ship cruises and solo travel.
View the report here.