The old saying, “it isn’t what you know, but who you know,” is especially true when it comes to knowing which destination to visit next. Each November, the Deal Experts at Travelzoo Inc. (NASDAQ: TZOO) announce their list of wow destinations for the year ahead, predicting where American travelers are likely to find the best bang for their buck.
Last year, Travelzoo highlighted that European river cruises would present tremendous value in 2014. This prediction came true; Travelzoo saw a 40% increase in the number of European river cruise deals in its Top 20® list this year, compared with 2013.
Travelzoo Deal Experts agree that the five wow destinations for 2015 are Brazil, Asia by cruise, Puerto Rico, Texas Hill Country (Austin & San Antonio) and Dubai.
“Travelzoo’s 2015 prediction offers an eclectic mix of travel destinations, but all have a common theme: increased infrastructure and competition, which means deals, deals, deals for the American traveler,” said Gabe Saglie, senior editor for Travelzoo. “Best of all, there is something for every taste. Asia’s tantalizing cities, the vibrant colors in Rio de Janeiro, the sun swept beaches of Puerto Rico, live music and barbecue in Hill Country and upscale adventures in Dubai. We’re expecting to see some terrific deals to these destinations in the year ahead.”
Brazil:
Brazil had a great year in 2014 when hosting the World Cup and its fans, and the country has even more to look forward to when it hosts the Olympics in 2016. However, all of that investment in infrastructure will put pressure on domestic travel companies to entice international travelers to the region in between these global events. Expect to see some great discounts on hotels – including the 400 new hotels that will be operational before the Olympics. Travelers flying from Florida can also take advantage of the increased competition generated from new routes out of Miami (American Airlines), Fort Lauderdale and Orlando (Azul Brazilian Airlines) later in 2014.
Cruising Asia:
China might not seem like an obvious choice for cruising, but Shanghai, the country’s largest city, has poured some serious money into building cruising infrastructure; including the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, which can handle the world’s largest ships. As a result, cruise lines are adding new ships and itineraries throughout Asia, including China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand. Royal Caribbean International is even moving its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, to Shanghai. As cruise lines compete to fill their cabins, expect to see more deals.
Puerto Rico:
As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico has long appealed to American travelers: no U.S. passports are required to visit, English is spoken, and the U.S. dollar is accepted throughout the region. However, thanks to the addition of new routes and increased services from airports around the U.S. in recent months (from JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines), flights to Puerto Rico are now among the cheapest in the Caribbean. Travelzoo expects this trend to continue throughout 2015.
Texas Hill Country – Austin and San Antonio:
The downtown landscapes of Austin and San Antonio are transforming at light-speed as visitors, businesses and new residents continue to flock to the two cities. To meet this demand, nearly a half-dozen new hotels are set to open in 2015, including properties from JW Marriott, Kimpton and Westin.
Dubai:
Despite a huge hotel expansion to support the upcoming World Expo in 2020, Dubai experienced its lowest occupancy rate in 18 years this summer. Lots of space to fill equates to discounted hotel rooms. Add to this the fact that Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport – which began accepting passengers in October – is gearing up for a $32 billion expansion over the next decade to accommodate 200 million more passengers, 2015 could be the perfect time to get ahead of the crowds.
For more information and deals to the 2015 Wow Deal Destinations, visit http://www.travelzoo.com/destinations/wow2015.
SOURCE: Travelzoo Inc.