Dominican Republic: Top Cruise Destination for Five Years Straight
The most popular international travel destination for 2008 is a Caribbean cruise, according to a survey of travel experts by Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
That was followed closely by a trip to Cancun or the Riviera Maya in Mexico.
“Internationally, Caribbean cruising and Cancun, Mexico, deliver the 1-2 punch for the second straight year among the most popular international destinations,'” noted Carlson Wagonlit.
Also making the Top 10 list of most popular international destinations is Montego Bay, Jamaica (#7), Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (#9), and Mexican cruises (tied for #10).
Among the Top 5 Cruise Destinations, the Western Caribbean ranked #2 (behind #1 Alaska), the Eastern Caribbean was #3, and the Southern Caribbean was #5 (Europe/Mediterranean was #4).
Caribbean cruising has been named as the top international destination for five straight years, noted Carlson. On the other hand, this was the first year that Alaska beat out the Caribbean as the top cruise destination. And Punta Cana slipped from the #6 spot in the 2007 rankings.
“Punta Cana continues to be a great value for an all-inclusive destination,” said Steve Phillips, a Carlson Wagonlit Travel counselor based in Crystal, Minn. He added:
“However, the American tourist is used to a certain type of destination … [with] some of the comforts of home. The Dominican Republic has struggled to acquire and build an infrastructure to support American tourists.”
Report by David Wilkening
Chitra Mogul
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