Vacations and Travel - International Travel

Americans like to travel abroad, though many are not able to or can only do so occasionally because of the expense involved. A 2003 Harris poll of countries Americans would choose to visit if cost were not a factor found that the number one choice was Australia, followed by Italy, Great Britain, France, and Ireland. Australia had topped the poll for seven years running, although Italy moved up from fifth place in 1997 to second in 2003. Lower down in the poll were Germany (sixth), New Zealand (seventh), Japan (eighth), Spain (ninth), and Greece (tenth). Interest in Japan had grown since 2002, when it did not place in the top fifteen, while New Zealand had risen from thirteenth place, possibly because of interest in the Lord of the Rings films, which were shot there. Between 2002 and 2003 Canada fell from third to twelfth, while Jamaica and Barbados dropped off the list entirely, after sharing ninth place in 2002.

According to a poll of travel agents conducted by the American Society of Travel Agents and Fodor's and published online in 2004 by TravelSense.org, the top international destinations were London; Rome; Cancun, Mexico; Paris; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Aruba; Dublin, Ireland; Frankfurt; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and the Caribbean. Visitors to TravelSense.org's Web site were polled as well, and their top ten choices were Cancun, Paris, London, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Aruba, Europe, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Puerto Vallarta.