Now that we're totally into the millennium (many claim 2001 as its start, not 2000), it's time for a reality check.
The hot new travel destinations are not those that offer a Disney-ized or Vegas-ized look at the world but ones with authentic flavor.
Tour operators report that there is a growing interest in making genuine encounters with people and wildlife on their home ground. More travelers are looking to get off the beaten path and discover places few have visited, which explains why there is growing interest in places such as Cuba, Iraq or Iran.
Travelers, though, while showing an adventurous side, still love to be pampered. The number of luxury resorts, pampering spas, cruise ships and tours is up. Other areas that continue to grow include:
Family travel. Many tour operators now feature family programs. Educational and adventure trips are high on many a family itinerary. And, who is making this decision? According to a YP&B/Yankelovich Partners survey, 57 percent of the destination decisionmaking was done by children, many of whom are doing their research on the Internet. In Florida, the newest theme park is Discovery Cove by SeaWorld, where families can swim with dolphins and stingrays and interact with other marine life all in an uncrowded (daily admissions are limited), inland resort just across from Orlando's SeaWorld.
Cruise vacations. Last year the industry added 11 percent more berths to its fleet and, when figures are all in, expects the number of cruisers last year to have topped 6.9 million. A major reason for the continuing growth is the number of new vessels that have become true floating resorts.
These ships feature staterooms with balconies overlooking the ocean and range in size from intimate 200-passenger vessels to the giant Royal Caribbean vessels that include an indoor ice-skating rink, outdoor climbing wall, and just about everything else you'd expect at a plush land resort.
Making a cruise vacation all the more popular are the value pricing of the vacation and the pampering that now includes dining when you like.
Volunteering vacations. It's a time to give back something, and the opportunities are endless. One nice feature on these vacations is that you could also receive a tax break on most of your expenses.
Remember the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey?" Well, this might be a good time to rent the Stanley Kubrick film, which is based on Arthur C. Clarke's 1968 book, and compare it to reality. Taking an open-space and "2001" movie theme, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is anticipating a great travel year.
The curtain rises in May when the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse plays host to "Horses & Hollywood," an exhibition featuring memorabilia from the Golden Age of Hollywood — introducing the real horses behind those equine roles and how they prepared for their parts.
While not unknown, the handiest, friendliest international destination is just north of us — Canada. Conde Nast Traveler readers voted it the No. 1 international destination, yet many Americans seem unaware of its international flavor, ease of travel, and great bargains — the U.S. dollar still buys up to $1.50 Canadian. While places such as British Columbia, Toronto, Montreal (the second largest French-speaking city after Paris), and Quebec City (North America's only walled city) are always popular, for a truly unusual experience, head to the Northwest Territories.
This remote region is also home to the Nanavut Territory, twice the size of Ontario, and controlled by Canada's indigenous people. And a closer-to-home destination is the Atlantic Provinces, which not only offer crowd-free and friendly experiences, but many unusual ones as well. Head up to Newfoundland and Labrador and you can watch whales frolicking just off shore and giant icebergs passing by.
Another reason to visit Canada will be the exhibit "Treasures from the Hermitage: Rubens and His Age." Some 150 works by 17th-century Flemish masters will be on view from May to August at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. It will not be seen anywhere else.
A natural experience awaits those who head to South Africa for one of the optimum locations to view a total solar eclipse on June 21. Combining this remarkable sight with a safari should create memories of a lifetime.
While exotic places such as the Galapagos Islands, where you can still get a prehistoric experience visiting up close with the wildlife that gave Darwin his theory of evolution, old favorites are still on everyone's travel list.
In Mexico, where a volcano billows threatening smoke outside Mexico City, destinations far away from the volcano, such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, are proving more popular than ever.
Europe continues to grow in favor with Americans. While the number of Americans crossing the Atlantic continues to increase, so, too, do problems with overcrowding in summer. Again, the answer for travelers is that there's still a lot of Europe that is relatively unknown to Americans.
Europe's popularity seems assured based on the latest passport figures that show a record 6 million-plus passports were issued in 1999. Of these, 80 percent were for first-time passports. Based on past experience, more than half of these new passports were obtained for a trans-Atlantic trip, said Einar Gustavsson of Iceland, U.S. chairman of the 30-nation European Travel Commission.
The No. 1 destination in Europe remains England, but you can easily avoid the crowds and tour a different country within Great Britain — Wales. This relatively unknown part of the isles is not the black hole many still imagine from its days of coal and slate mining. It has blossomed into a picturesque land with magnificent castles to visit and delightful people to meet.
While English is the main language, its more ancient Welsh language is still spoken and taught in schools. The people are proud of their land, especially now that many of the ties to London have been broken, giving more local control to the affairs of Wales. It's a place to sing about, as fans of native daughter Charlotte Church and Wales' wonderful men's choirs know.
One of the major celebrations this year will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, the leading figure in the Italian music world for much of the 19th century. His operas will be performed at the Verona Festival, Milan's La Scala and other locations. Through Feb. 24, Berlin is also featuring Verdi operas with 35 performances in three opera houses.
While there are no Olympics this year, there is Utah, home to the 2002 Winter Olympics. Unlike many Olympic destinations, Utah is ready with all the facilities in place — and they have plenty of snow — so travelers can go now and experience the Olympic thrill before the crowds arrive.
In New England, the Boston Celtics may not be giving Bostonians much to cheer about, but fans of the game will have something to celebrate with the opening later this year of an all new Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
In Newport, Rhode Island's annual Flower Show has won recognition as one of the 100 top events in North America for 2001 by the American Bus Association. The Newport show, now in its sixth year, will have a theme of "A New Beginning" and be held July 7 and 8 at Rosecliff, one of the Preservation Society of Newport County's most elegant historic mansions.
For those who travel for events, the top ones for this year are : "The Majesty of Spain: Royal Collections from the Museo del Prado & Patrimonio Nacional" in Jackson, Miss., March 1-Sept. 3, and, in Canada, Celtic Colors International Festival on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Oct. 5-13.
The travel world is growing, and even the current concerns about the economy don't seem to be hurting it. People want to travel, and surprisingly, in some past poor economic times, travel remained stable. People are making vacation plans, said Cy Hopkins, vice president for Royal Olympic Cruises. "We're not seeing a booking slowdown, even with the stock market jitters."
Money concerns, however, are creating good travel deals. Bob Diener, president of the Hotel Reservations Network, a company that offers discounted rooms in many cities, reports travelers' resistance to high rates is causing many hotels to lower already discounted rates on HRN's Web site.