From East Africa to the Eastern Shore, members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) know where consumers can find the most relaxing vacation, and Hawaii takes the top honor.
Agents were asked in a survey to list the one destination in the world that they felt provided the most relaxing experience for their clients. The results came back with 105 destinations found to be relaxing with choices as diverse as Tanzania and North Carolina.
Hawaii ranked number one with 17 percent of responses for several reasons, including being a tropical location within the U.S. without the red tape of some other destinations (travel, phone and currency). Other reasons cited were great beaches, a laid-back atmosphere and beautiful resorts.
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Mexico, which came in second in the survey, was cited for its many relaxing all-inclusive resorts. Agents said that the combination of the all-inclusive resorts with short flights, sun, beaches and great service make vacationing in Mexico a very relaxing experience.
The Caribbean, ranking third, was another favorite on the most relaxing experience survey. Agents find the Caribbean to have a good combination of beach and activities in a beautiful setting.
Jamaica and taking a cruise ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Agents expressed that Jamaica provides a relaxing experience due to its carefree, laid-back atmosphere.
Cruises were seen as relaxing because you can see multiple islands without packing/unpacking in an all-inclusive atmosphere.
Travelers who would like to experience these relaxing destinations can find a helpful travel agent in the "Find a Travel Agent" directory on www.TravelSense.org, where tourists can search for a travel agent who specializes in the relaxing destinations that they dream of visiting.
Survey data was collected through the 2014 ASTA Research Family panel in February/March 2014. This survey has a 95 percent confidence rate with an error rate of +/-4 percent. A copy of the results can be found on the research page of www.ASTA.org.