Americans to travel farther, spend more in 2012

People exercise by a lake in Yangon at sunrise December 3, 2011. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Shaky economy notwithstanding, Americans intend to travel farther and spend more in 2012, according to a nationwide poll.

Long-haul bookings to Europe, Asia and Australia are up in 2012, comprising 11 of the top 20 destinations for U.S. travelers, compared to nine in 2011, the survey of 640 travel agents showed.

Over 90 percent said their clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2012. The top two international destinations for 2012, based on actual bookings, remain Caribbean cruises and Cancun, Mexico, as they were in the 2011 survey.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China, missing from the top 20 in 2011, made the list in 2012, and Sydney, Australia, ranked 19th last year just missed making the top 15.

"We are very encouraged to see the rise in popularity of such a diverse group of international destinations," said Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group, which conducted the poll.

He said along with the expected list-toppers, such as London and Rome, it was nice to see Americans' interests are diversifying and in large enough numbers to 'bump up' destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing in Asia, and Amsterdam and Barcelona in Europe.

Asked to pick the top up-and-coming international destinations, over a third of the agents chose Croatia for Europe, and one-half said Vietnam led in Asia. Panama edged out Ecuador and Brazil among destinations within Central/South America.

The luxury travel segment continues to thrive. More than half the leisure travel specialists polled reported upticks in small ship cruising, off-the-beaten path travel and international family travel.

Las Vegas, Nevada, heads up the domestic destinations for 2012 for U.S. travelers, as it did in 2011. Agents cite the lure of gaming and the ease of the getaway for its continued vitality; Orlando, Florida, the home of Disney World, ranked second.

Last-minute leisure travel is down. Eager to lock-in optimum pricing and driven by reduced airline capacity, leisure travelers continue to book further in advance of their travel date.

Domestically, more than 63 percent of leisure travelers booked their flights eight weeks or more in advance of the travel date; internationally, it was 89.5 percent.

Almost 40 percent of the agents reported higher bookings in 2012; 40.8 percent said bookings were even; and 19.7 percent reported lower bookings than in 2011.

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Winter invigorates trips to snow festivals

Tourists have a good time as lights for the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, are tested on Dec 26. The festival will officially open on Jan 5. Liu Yang / for China Daily

A swimmer jumps into the icy water of the Songhua River in Harbin on Dec 26. [Photo/Agencies]

An extreme sports enthusiast get airborne on Dec 3 at Lianhuashan Ski Resort in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin province. Fang Xinwu / for China Daily

Children enjoy themselves with a real-life counterstrike game on Dec 17 at the Longtan International Ice and Snow Cultural Carnival. The event at Beijing's Longtan Park lasts until Feb 12. Zou Weilin / for China Daily

Horse racing is one of the many traditional sports at the ongoing "Nadam" Winter Fair celebrated by the Ewenki ethnic group in Ewenki Autonomous Banner, Inner Mongolia. Yu Changjun / for China Daily

A woman and two girls show their excitement on Dec 17 at the newly opened Jurassic Ski Park in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Zhou Jianling / for China Daily

Ninety-nine snowmen with the same hats and scarves greet tourists at the gate to Taiyangdao Island Park in Harbin on Dec 20. Liu Yang / for China Daily

Tourists have a good time as lights for the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, are tested on Dec 26. The festival will officially open on Jan 5. Liu Yang / for China Daily

Winter has turned parts of the country into a wonderland of excitement, where a host of snow festivals are providing locals and tourists unforgettable moments of invigorating fun. Top among the many vibrant events is the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival that will be officially launched on Jan 5 in Heilongjiang province - when temperatures can plummet to -38C - with numerous heart-warming experiences available to visitors.

Stunning ice sculptures light up Harbin Ice and Snow World, a highlight of the festival. Of the 45 works in ice and snow depicting iconic buildings, landscapes and figures along a 1,400-meter-long stretch, one recreates Marilyn Monroe's well-known pose in The Seven Year Itch: standing on a subway grate while her white dress is blown above her knees.

If you are looking for a tour replete with unique ethnic flavors, the "Nadam" Winter Fair underway in Ewenki Autonomous Banner of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region will fit the bill. Dance and sing with locals dressed in Ewenki attire or join them in the scores of traditional winter sports such as horse and camel racing across snowfields.

Though snow hasn't come as heavily as people anticipated in Beijing, winter sports enthusiasts can still enjoy themselves at the ongoing "Happy Snow and Ice Season" gala thanks to the wonders of artificial snowmaking.

The National Stadium, home to the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games 2008, has been remade into a fairyland of white. Snow sculptures, mini ski slopes and skating rinks in the arena give visitors a different experience of the Bird's Nest. A 20-meter-high snow-covered mountain serves as the backdrop for a stage welcoming interactive shows twice a day and rock concerts during Spring Festival.

But the excitement is not the monopoly of Northern China. Window of the World, a famous tourist site in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has opened its own ice and snow carnival, a month-long fete that fascinates people in Southern China with a 2,400-square-meter skating rink and a 4,000-square-meter "ski resort". Its non-stop celebrations also include a grand parade of popular cartoon characters and New Year party.

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Chinese top visitor numbers in Mongolia in 2011

China was the top foreign source of tourists to Mongolia in 2011, local media reported Tuesday.

Chinese accounted for about 40 percent of the total, followed by Russians, the report said.

A tourism official said some 460,000 tourists had visited Mongolia in 2011, up 0.7 percent from the previous year. The total revenue from tourism was estimated at 190.7 million U.S. dollars.

Other major sources of tourists included South Korea, Japan, the United States, Germany and Britain.

Mongolia's vast steppe and untapped natural landscape are major drawcards during the warm summer times.

The Mongolian government has developed a national strategy to boost tourism, with the goal of increasing the number of foreign tourists to 1 million by 2015.

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Emperor penguins spend New Year in Beijing

Penguins waddle on artificial snow at Taoranting Park in Beijing on Dec 31, 2011. Six penguins, including several emperor penguins and gentoo penguins, are being shown during an ice and snow carnival from Dec 31 to middle February in Taoranting Park. The penguins came from Dalian Polar Aquariums Park in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province. The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. [Photo/CFP]

Two emperor penguins play on artificial snow at Taoranting Park on Dec 31, 2011. [Photo/CFP]

A tourist touches the plumage of an emperor penguin at Taoranting Park on Dec 31, 2011. [Photo/CFP]

Two gentoo penguins at Taoranting Park on Dec 31, 2011. [Photo/CFP]

Penguins waddle on artificial snow at Taoranting Park in Beijing on Dec 31, 2011. Six penguins, including several emperor penguins and gentoo penguins, are being shown during an ice and snow carnival from Dec 31 to middle February in Taoranting Park. The penguins came from Dalian Polar Aquariums Park in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province. The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica.

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