Based on our chats with travel experts, here are the trendiest destinations for the fall travel season.
This includes destinations people are vacationing to in the fall, as well as destinations clients are booking trips to in the fall but for travel at a later date.
Caroline Fridley, an advisor with Protravel International, which has headquarters in
New York City, told us
Morocco is gaining popularity, "especially for clients who have traveled extensively and are looking for a November/December destination that's warm and exotic, but not beach-focused."
And while the Amalfi coast of
Italy has always been popular amongst her clients, Fridley said that the destination has seen an unusual spike in last-minute bookings for this September and advanced bookings for next September.
It sounds like the potential for booking affluent Millennials - or any generation of savvy travelers craving an experience in
Europe that hasn't been completely bragged about already on social media - could be brewing there.
Daniela Harrison, an advisor with Avenues of the World Travel in Flagstaff, Arizona, said her clients are currently vacationing in, or booking travel to,
Costa Rica,South Africa,
Egypt,
Australia,
Tahiti,
Antarctica, the
Galapagos Islands in
Ecuador and "really the more exotic destinations" in general.
And while "exotic" is always a great pitch for the traveling veteran looking for a good, old-fashioned culture shock, some vacationers who don't get to jet-set more than once a year simply prefer a place that's easy to get to and warm.
And that's why Katie Rahr Kapel, owner of Mode Travel Agency, Inc., which is based in Fargo,
North Dakota, said mainstream, beach destinations like
Aruba, where all-inclusives and the closest thing to do a no-rain guarantee in the
Caribbean exists, is a popular place to vacation to this fall.
"Even though the flights may not be the best, the price is right," said Kapel, "and [Aruba] is considered to be 'hurricane-free'."
In fact, the Caribbean and Mexico, in general, are solid options for value-seekers, especially families, since this is considered the low season in both regions for family vacations.
Rachel Morris, an advisor with Paradise Weddings and Travel in Houston,
Texas, told TravelPulse wine-focused destinations, like
New Zealand, that also offer an abundance of action-adventure opportunities are popular amongst Millennials traveling this fall. You can also add
Chile and
Argentina as two top destinations that fit that description.
Tom Varghese, owner of Travel Tom in Washington, D.C., told TravelPulse his agency always does a lot of business in the fall and one of the main reasons is Europe.
"We believe the fall and spring are the best times to visit Europe since the weather is perfect and comfortable for walking and touring," said Varghese. "It is not as crowded to visit the sites and the airfare tends to be cheaper than the summer."
For clients looking for long-haul flights this fall, Justin Lindblad, owner of Willing Foot Travel in New York City, suggests pitching both
Africa and
Japan.
"As always, Africa is incredibly popular and countries like Botswana, Uganda and Rwanda are much more on people's radar," said Lindblad. "Japan has been another very popular destination and, though there may be a bit of 'sticker shock' to the client, people are so interested in the beauty and intricacies of its culture."