US, UK and Japan are Named Top Travel Destinations in Visa Global Travel Intentions Survey

The United States, United Kingdom and Japan have been voted the top global travel destinations among 11,620 respondents from 23 countries and territories around the world, according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Survey 2011 [1].

One in five (20 percent) respondents surveyed said they are likely to travel to the United States for leisure in the next two years. The United Kingdom followed closely behind in second place with 19 percent of the respondents indicating they are likely to travel there for their holiday, followed by Japan (16 percent) and France and Italy (both 15 percent).

Ross Jackson, Head of Cross-Border Business, Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Visa, said: "With great cultural diversity, amazing scenery and a shopping paradise for holidaymakers, it is no surprise that one in five people say they are likely to visit the US in the next two years. The competitive exchange rates preceding the survey would have helped make the US an even more appealing destination to international travelers. The UK was cited as the second favorite destination and of those who want to visit UK, 27 percent said they are likely to attend a sporting event. The upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games could be a pull factor and it is an indication that sport tourism is proving to be a growing attraction for today's travelers."

"While Japan has always been a firm favourite among travelers from Asia Pacific as has been noted in both this year's and our previous surveys, we re-ran the survey in two of Japan's key source markets, Mainland China and South Korea, in August this year to assess how much the March tsunami affected traveler sentiments. The survey, very encouragingly, found that Chinese and South Korean respondents still rank Japan among their top destinations [2]. More than one in three (34 percent) respondents from Mainland China and one in four (24 percent) respondents from South Korea said they are likely to travel to Japan in the next two years. This is in line with Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Destination Trends [3] that international arrivals to Japan have picked up slightly post-tsunami. Our survey findings present great news hinting at a strong recovery and boost for the afflicted Japanese economy," said Jackson.

The research shows that the global average spend for the last trip taken by respondents in the past two years was US$1,481, rising to an expected global average of US$1,895 when travelling in the forthcoming two years. Results from the survey also reveal that the highest spenders were respondents from Australia who spent an average of US$3,636 in their last trip. Respondents from Saudi Arabia were the next highest spenders who spent an average of US$3,129 on their last trip. Projected spending in the next two years also demonstrates that respondents from Australia again look to be the highest spenders, with a projected average travel budget of US$3,582.

The survey also found the availability of good deals (70 percent), natural scenery (69 percent), political stability and good weather (both 66 percent), and new destinations (65 percent) as top factors which influence travelers' choice of destinations.

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Source : Visa