Luxury travel bookings to destinations including Mauritius, Bali and Vietnam are on the rise in 2020, according to Kuonis Worldwide Travel Report 2020.
The top ten best-selling destinations for 2020 are the Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bali, Italy, the USA, Vietnam, Antigua and South Africa respectively.
The Maldives retains its position as the best-selling premium hot spot for the 17th year running, with its position strengthened by a crop of new resorts offering a broader appeal for families, honeymooners and switch-off beach breaks to suit diverse budgets.
Mauritius remains a firm favourite and has leapt up to the second place. Continued investment in hotels means they set a high bar for premium travel which is hard to beat, ranging from luxury pool villas to rustic chic.
Sri Lanka is back on the map for premium beach and touring holidays after the devastation of last Easter?s attacks which affected the country?s tourism industry. It is currently listed in the fourth position, based on bookings for the year ahead.
Bali is enjoying a return to form, going up one place in Kuoni?s top ten. It is the first upturn in two years as the destination recovered from the earthquakes in Lombok and the Gili Islands in 2018. Drawing customers to less-commercialised areas has been a focus over the past year, with the addition of Lovina in the north of Bali with black sand beaches and fishing communities. It was one of the first properties to ban single-use plastic.
Demand for small group-escorted touring is on the rise, with bookings up 10%, as customers seek adventures around the world with like-minded companions, but with the security of having a trusted local guide with them.
Rising demand for group-escorted tours is driving growth for Vietnam. After years of declining numbers, Vietnam is back in fashion and tops the list of Kuoni?s group-touring destinations for the first time, knocking India off the top spot.
Coming to river cruising, the Nile tops the best-selling places with Jewels of the Nile cruise up 20%. Egypt is enjoying continued growth, and that is set to continue with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, currently under construction, scheduled to open later in the year. The Saatchi Gallery?s Tutankhamun exhibition has put ancient Egypt in the spotlight.
Closer to home, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey are the top European destinations respectively. Italy is up to one place overall with Puglia being a real stand-out success. Brexit is having less of a bearing on European sales compared to this time last year and Greece has gone up two places.
To view the report: www.kuoni.co.uk/worldwide-travel-report
