Alaska cruises topped the list of 2018 domestic locations
for Travel Leaders Group agents, ascending to the top spot from fifth place in
2017, according to the company's 2018 Travel Trends Survey.
Cruising in the state boomed from 1997 to 2008, but then
several ships left the market. With some legislative assistance, Alaska cruise
tourism rose again.
The destination cracked 1 million in 2016, and 1.1 million
cruise passengers arrived in 2017. CLIA expects a 7% increase this year.
"Alaska is a truly unique bucket-list destination, and
more and more people from around the world are discovering its awe-inspiring
beauty," Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement. "Our
travel advisors frequently recommend it as a not-to-be-missed travel
experience, especially for those interested in vivid scenery, wildlife or
expedition travel."
For the past few years, Alaska cruises have been among the
top 10 U.S. trips that Travel Leaders Group agents have booked. This year it is
at the top of the list for the first time.
Rounding out the top 10 domestic locations were, in order,
Orlando, Las Vegas, Maui, New York City, Honolulu, Hawaiian cruises,
Miami/Miami Beach, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
Caribbean cruises remained the top international destination
booked by Travel Leaders Group agents in 2018, followed by Cancun; European
river cruises; Mediterranean cruises; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Rome;
London; Amsterdam; Montego Bay, Jamaica (tied in eighth place with Amsterdam);
Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Mexico; and Paris.
Agents' outlook on business in 2018 is positive. In total,
87.1% of agents said they were optimistic, up from 81.1% last year. Ten percent
said they were neither optimistic nor pessimistic, down from 15.8% last year,
and 2.7% said they were pessimistic, down from 3.1% last year.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 20 to Feb. 19, with
responses from 1,355 North American-based agency owners, managers and agents.
The responders came from several Travel Leaders Group brands, including Travel
Leaders, All Aboard Travel, Cruise Specialists, Nexion, Protravel
International, Travel Leaders Corporate and Tzell Travel Group.