With 2019 coming to a close and 2020 travel planning on the horizon, global authority American Express Travel is here to help with your wanderlust needs – starting with where to explore and the best properties to book for your stay.
With over 100 years of experience backing our customers through travel and the ability to leverage resources from all over to world, American Express Travel is at the forefront of travel trends. According to a recent American Express Travel survey*, 92% of leisure travelers feel overwhelmed by the number of travel options available to book, and more than half of all travelers say they’d pay extra for a personalized itinerary. To inspire Card Members on where to travel next, American Express Travel revealed its 2020 Trending Destinations.
To help unveil the list of trending destinations and share some of her personal favorite vacation spots, longtime American Express Ambassador, world traveler, tennis champion and entrepreneur, Venus Williams teamed up with American Express Travel for an immersive culinary experience at the Greenwich Hotel in New York City, a Fine Hotels & Resorts Property.
American Express Travel’s 2020 Trending Destinations, based on forward looking, year-over-year (YOY) proprietary global booking data, reflects Card Members’ passion for visiting diverse and eclectic locations. From cosmopolitan cities to secret island getaways, this trusted list highlights popular locations and where to stay.
WHERE TO GO IN 2020
The 2020 Trending Destinations will take travelers around the globe, from classic vacation spots to up-and-coming locations, and each destination brings something unique to this year’s list (in alphabetical order):
- Buenos Aires, Argentina (Card Member travel up 35% YOY)
- Cairo, Egypt (Card Member travel up 40% YOY)
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (Card Member travel up 33% YOY)
- The French Riviera (Card Member travel up 15% YOY)
- Kauai, Hawaii, USA (Card Member travel up 39% YOY)
- The Italian Alps (Card Member travel up 44% YOY)
- Montana, USA (Card Member travel up 58% YOY)
- Osaka, Japan (Card Member travel up 68% YOY)
- Shanghai, China (Card Member travel up 25% YOY)
- Whitsunday Islands, Australia (Card Member travel up 20% YOY)
“Travel is an integral part of our Card Members’ lives: They travel with purpose, seeking authentic experiences to share with the people who matter most,” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. “With more people traveling than ever before and an overwhelming amount of information available, our Card Members turn to us for our expertise across the entire travel process – from planning where to visit, to booking hotels, to on-the-ground experiences. Our annual list of Trending Destinations and our Fine Hotels & Resorts program are just a few of the many ways that we back our Card Members, ensuring that every last detail of their trip is tailored to their individual passions.”
To provide this personalized experience, along with the hand-picked properties in the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, American Express Travel gives select premium Card Members access to more than 4,500 travel and lifestyle consultants around the world – in the channel of their choice – to ensure they have the trip of a lifetime planned just for them.
Known for her frequent traveling – both for work and leisure – Venus Williams teamed up with American Express Travel to announce the 2020 trending destinations and share some of her favorite places from the list where she’s traveled around the globe with her Platinum Card.
WHERE TO STAY
As these destinations continue to grow in popularity, American Express Travel expanded its Fine Hotels & Resorts portfolio and added a number of carefully curated luxury properties:
- The French Riviera: Cap Estel is stunning oasis on the Côte d’Azur in a turn-of-the-century property favored by celebrities and situated on its own five-acre peninsula.
- The Italian Alps: Le Massif, a charming hotel in the chic town of Courmayeur, boasts sleek nouveau-chalet environs and priority access to an affiliated slope-side restaurant with great views of Mont Blanc from the terrace.
- Osaka, Japan: InterContinental Osaka is the epitome of luxury in the burgeoning and bustling Grand Front Osaka with a rooftop garden and world-class spa.
- Shanghai, China: The Shanghai EDITION impresses with the brand’s typically modern combo of light wood and white marble.
- Whitsunday Islands, Australia: Located on a gorgeous private island, the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort boats a recent $90 million renovation with 166 stylish rooms, eco-friendly amenities, and a royal assortment of tropical gardens and swimming pools.
All properties added to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program have been evaluated by American Express Travel, so Card Members know they are getting a luxury experience no matter where they are. Plus, when Platinum Card Members book Fine Hotels & Resorts through American Express Travel, they receive a unique property amenity valued at $1001 and other benefits; making their stay at these properties even more rewarding.ǂ
ABOUT FINE HOTELS & RESORTS BENEFITS:
Complimentary benefits are available to Platinum Card and Centurion® Members when booking at over 1,000 Fine Hotels & Resorts properties through American Express Travel. These complimentary benefits have an average total value of $5502, and include:
- Guaranteed late check-out at 4 p.m.
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade3 at check-in, when available
- Noon check-in, when available
- Unique amenity valued at US $1001, such as a food and beverage credit
- Complimentary WiFi
Plus, Platinum Card Members can earn 5X Membership Rewards® points or can use Pay with Points on prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings on amextravel.com.ǂǂ
2020 TRENDING DESTINATIONS METHODOLOGY
American Express Travel’s 2020 Trending Destinations are selected based on global American Express Card Member bookings through American Express Travel, looking at year-over-year travel growth between 2019 and 2020 in a like-for-like booking time period.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL
American Express Travel is a global full-service travel and lifestyle services provider. For over 100 years, American Express has helped passionate travelers customize and enhance their trip experience through world-class service, exclusive programs and premium benefits. Customers have many options for accessing these services and can travel with confidence, whether booking online at amextravel.com or speaking with travel and lifestyle consultants directly.
*SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The American Express Travel Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 U.S. adult leisure travelers, defined as those who have traveled for leisure by airplane in the past 12 months. Quota set for 250 affluent travelers, defined as those with HHI of $125k+, between August 21st and August 29th, 2019, using an email invitation and an online survey. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
TERMS
1Special amenity varies by property
2Average value based on Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings in 2018 for stays of two nights. Actual value will vary based on property, room rate, upgrade availability, and use of benefits.
3Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade.
ǂTerms apply. To learn more about Fine Hotels & Resorts, please visit americanexpress.com/explorefhr.
ǂǂTerms apply. To learn more about Membership Rewards, please visit membershiprewards.com/terms.