For the second year in a row, members of The Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) have named New York (#1), Washington, D.C. (#2), and Orlando(#3) as the top three cities in its ranking of Top Ten domestic destinations for student and youth travel. The Eastern Coast of Canada debuted on the Top Ten North American destinations list this year, with Nova Scotia (#8), New Brunswick (#9), and Prince Edward Island (#10) entering the rankings, and for the International Top Ten list, the Czech Republic (#6) and Costa Rica (#8) emerged for the first time as well.
The rankings are announced in the May 2009 issue of SYTA’s Teach & Travel magazine, which is a leading resource for educators, youth group leaders, and administrators who are responsible for planning student and youth travel, providing the latest trends and information about the industry. The May “Top Ten” issue also features the annual “Student Travel Handbook,” which offers a comprehensive resource guide with special “how to” articles for planning successful student and youth group trips.
The destination rankings are compiled from SYTA’s annual member survey, which polls student and youth travel professionals on current and emerging trends. This year’s lists include:
Top 10 U.S. Destinations
1. New York City
2. Washington D.C.
3. Orlando
4. Boston Area
5. Historic Virginia
6. California Coast
7. Historic Pennsylvania
8. Chicago
9. Baltimore/Annapolis
10. Hawaii
Top North America Destinations
1. Toronto and Niagara Falls
2. Montreal & Quebec City
3. Vancouver
4. Ottawa
5. Edmonton
6. Yucatan Peninsula
7. Mexico City
8. Nova Scotia
9. New Brunswick
10. Prince Edward Island
Top 10 International Destinations
1. United Kingdom
2. Italy
3. France
4. Spain
5. Germany
6. Czech Republic
7. Australia
8. Costa Rica
9. Peru
10. China
“It’s not surprising that the most popular destinations remain pretty consistent year-over-year. Our members report that historic sites and “timeless” places that are easily accessible are still of great interest to student and youth groups, even in an economic downturn,” said John Krish, President of SYTA.
Adds Claudia Mansfield Sutton, Executive Director, SYTA, “The experiential nature of travel contributes significantly to a student’s overall education, so we’re also pleased to see new and emerging destinations like the Czech Republic and Costa Rica join the list.”
Founded in 1997, SYTA is a non-profit, professional trade association comprised of nearly 1,000 members in North America who stay up-to-date with today’s youth travel trends and custom tailor trips worldwide. Members of SYTA include tour operators, attractions, convention and visitors bureaus, state/provincial offices of tourism, hotels/hostels, restaurants, theaters, transportation and other organizations involved in student and youth travel in North America. Current active tour operator members of SYTA account for almost $1.55 billion US in student and youth travel, providing trips to over 2.2 million participants each year. To receive a free subscription or learn more about SYTA's Teach & Travel, please visit www.syta.org or contact Serendipity Publishing at 866-252-710.
