2015 cruising: Alaska, European rivers in demand

In a tight race, cruising in Alaska ranks as top domestic travel destination in 2015, according to a new survey byTravel Leaders Group

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In gaining the No. 1 spot, Alaska cruising dethroned Las Vegas to lead domestic destinations in the travel company's 2015 Travel Trends Survey. Vegas went down to fifth on the list behind Alaska cruises, Orlando, Maui and New York City.

"For the past a decade and a half, Las Vegas and Orlando have jockeyed for the top spot in our survey. So what we are seeing – even if mere tenths of a percentage point separate our top four destinations – is a seismic shift for American travelers in 2015," said Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.

The annual survey, which is based on actual bookings and responses from 1,266 travel agents, also saw river cruising in Europe on the rise as an international destination.

Caribbean cruises remained top international destination for 2015, followed by Cancun, London, Europe river cruises and Rome. Last year, river cruising was in the fifth spot.

The survey also showed 96.5% of travel agents believe their clients will spend the same or higher on their travel in 2015.

Travel Leaders Group is one of the top travel companies in the country; its various brands include Vacation.com, Cruise Holidays and Cruise Specialists.