Summer is right around the corner and that means it's time to plan a vacation. Fly.com has revealed a list of the top international destinations for summer 2014 and the site says low airfare has something to do with it.
In its list of the Top 50 International Summer Destinations for 2014, Fly.com found that destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Airfare searches for these three regions make up nearly half of the Top 50 list.
European destinations are still popular but topping this year's list is Cancun, Mexico, where the average roundtrip airfare costs $127 less than last year. Cancun is joined in Fly.com's Top 50 by four other Mexican cities: San Jose del Cabo (No. 7), Puerto Vallarta (No. 10), Guadalajara (No. 33) and Mexico City (No. 35). Roundtrip airfares to these cities dropped 8% on average, compared with 2013 prices.
2014 Top Summer Destinations |
1. Cancun, Mexico |
2. London, United Kingdom |
3. Paris, France |
4. Rome, Italy |
5. Dublin, Ireland |
6. Montego Bay, Jamaica |
7. San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico |
8. Oranjestad, Aruba |
9. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
10. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
Parts of the Caribbean make up nearly a quarter of the Top 50 list. Average roundtrip airfares to the Caribbean are 4% less than the same period last year and some fares have decreased by as much as $359 roundtrip. Popular countries include Jamaica, Aruba and the Dominican Republic. Central American destinations also piqued travelers' interest, where average fares to Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador are down 7%.
When it comes to Europe, the coust of a roundtrip flight is 6% higher than last summer. Trips to Athens, Greece or Dublin, Ireland might be the cheapest options this summer in Europe.
"It's clear that the cost of airfare is playing a major role in vacation planning this summer," said Warren Chang, vice president and general manager, Fly.com. "Purchase price and the appeal of shorter flights are making travelers think twice about Europe. Moving forward we expect this trend to continue, especially in light of recent service expansions into Mexico and the Caribbean from carriers such as Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines."
Fly.com's Top 50 International Summer Destinations for 2014 was determined based on data from more than five million airfare searches for international destinations for travel dates between June 1 and August 31, 2014.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
