International travel on the rise in 2006

The results are in from Travelocity’s yearly travel poll, and they show a continued interest among U.S. travelers in overseas destinations. “International travel is on the rise, with the Caribbean and Europe leading the way,” says Amy Ziff, the site’s editor-at-large who conducted the survey.

The poll showed a higher interest in international destinations than in the previous year. The big winners? The Caribbean and Western Europe (both up eight percent year-over-year), Central and South America, Eastern Europe and Russia, and Asia.

But while more Americans plan to head overseas than in 2005, a majority of us still like to visit the same places over and over again, too. “Despite trend-setting travelers spreading the word about exotic destinations around the world, many people still choose to visit the same destination year after year,” says Ziff. Of the 60 percent of Americans who take an annual trip, roughly half that number return to the same vacation spot.

The poll was conducted in December 2005 and surveyed nearly 3,000 Travelocity members. They didn’t ask me, but if they had my list for 2006 would have included Iceland and Costa Rica (for the first time), and the Grand Canyon (a repeat visit). So apparently I’m right there with the rest of you, America. Good to know.