Mexico and Canada are the most popular international travel destinations among Americans this year, followed by three European countries.
Neighboring Mexico has long been a favorite destination partly due to its warm weather and outstanding beaches. Excellence Playa Mujeres, an all-inclusive oasis situated on an untouched peninsula between the Caribbean and a wetlands preserve, is one of the most popular spots. It offers 450 guest rooms and 17,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Several Mexico resorts and hotels have been focusing much more on health-and-wellness options, and this has helped to attract many like-minded groups. One that has been attracting the health crowd for decades is Rancho La Puerta, with 87 guest rooms and a meeting room that can seat 40 attendees. The property, which has served as the prototype of health-and-wellness resorts, is located in Tecate, a 15-minute drive from the San Diego border.
Canada lures groups with its cosmopolitan cities and magnificent natural attractions. Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa, Victoria’s only five-star oceanfront resort, is a contemporary boutique spa and conference property with 35 luxuriously appointed OceanSuites and OceanVillas, and 2,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Groups that head for Britain, the third most popular destination, customarily meet and stay in London. But another intriguing city is Bath, a town set in the rolling countryside of southwest England. Bath has several outstanding hotels, including Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, which features the country’s only hot springs, landscaped gardens. It provides 120 guest rooms and 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Paris is clearly the top destination in France, which placed fourth, but other locations, such as Cannes, also have many attractive features. Cannes is located on the French Riviera and is filled with restaurants and luxury hotels, such as Majestic Barrier, located on the Croisette, facing the Mediterranean and Palais des Festivals. It provides 349 guest rooms and 16,146 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Italy, the fifth most visited country, features the ever-popular cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, but in the summer, Tuscany and Sicily are particularly popular destinations. Il Pellicano (50 guest rooms, 1,076 sq. ft. of meeting space), one of the most attractive properties, overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea from a rugged hillside locations.
