travel

Survey reveals most popular dream destinations

July 01, 2015

Ayers Rock in Australia. Australia has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for luxury travellers. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, July 1, 2015.Australia is the most popular bucket list destination and the fastest-growing place of interest for wealthy travellers flush with cash, according to the results of a new survey.

After asking 5,800 travellers from 60 countries to name their dream destination this year, Australia emerged the most popular destination, followed by Italy and New Zealand.

The survey, carried out by luxury travel network Virtuoso, also aimed to reveal travel trends around the world by asking respondents to identify their idea of a “the trip of a lifetime”.

Topping that category is the European river or canal cruise, a trend that continues to be popular among travellers seeking to experience Europe differently.

A step up from the traditional cruise, meanwhile, is the world cruise with itineraries that take guests to iconic destinations around the world.

Oceania Cruises, for instance, offer a six-month around-the-world tour that starts in Miami and sails to Myanmar, Vietnam, Spain, Sydney and Namibia.

Other vacations deemed once-in-a-lifetime include the Greek isles, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the castles of Ireland, the French countryside, Provence and the overwater bungalows of Tahiti.

Australia also emerged the most popular destination for luxury travellers.

Here are the top 10 dream destinations according to Virtuoso’s survey:

1. Australia
2. Italy
3. New Zealand
4. France
5. Greece
6. Ireland
7. Caribbean
8. Fiji
9. England
10. Antarctica. – AFP/Relaxnews, July 1, 2015.