Las Vegas holidays and Caribbean cruises are hot - and business is heating up, too, at Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate agencies throughout the U.S. - according to a recent “2004 Travel Trends” survey of 287 Carlson Wagonlit Travel experts. The survey results, released by Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Associate Division yesterday, indicate that Las Vegas and Caribbean cruises are the most popular domestic and international holiday “destinations,” respectively, for 2004 in the USA. They also reveal promising news about the health of the agencies’ business: 83% of the respondents said their bookings for the year ahead are even or up over this time in 2003, and 85% said they are “fairly optimistic” or “very optimistic” about their business for 2004. Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates’ 2004 Travel Trends Survey, the travel agency powerhouse’s most comprehensive survey to date, also offers insight into current leisure travel trends, such as the increasing popularity of cruising. The survey, conducted October 20 - November 19, 2003, was completed by 287 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate owners, managers and front-line agents, representing nearly one in three Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate agency locations throughout the United States.Top Holiday Destinations: U.S. and International:When asked to forecast the five most popular U.S. destinations for 2004 based on their actual bookings to date, 85% of the respondents named Las Vegas, securing the city’s number-one ranking in the survey once again this year. Caribbean cruising was the most popular international destination, named by 77% of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate experts.
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