What Tops the Travel Bucket List for 2014? Americans Reveal Their Fantasies

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - May 16, 2014) - Flying first class, taking that leap of faith from a plane, putting pins on all seven continents ... these are some of the bucket list dreams driving Americans to travel.

And it may be that curiosity and adventure rule with today's millennial travelers vs. those who are 35 and older, according to an eye-opening study that is given its due attention in the latest issue of Travel-Intel.

While more than half of working Americans say they cannot get time off to pursue their far-flung wishes, millennials are finding their way around this conundrum with creative ways to add days to their vacation time and chase their once-in-a-lifetime travel dreams.

Travel-Intel, published by Tours.com, details the results of this revealing survey and also looks at other travel trends affecting the industry. For instance, a new study by J.D. Power shows that online travel companies, such as Expedia and Kayak, cannot compete on price alone. Consumers are demanding much more from these services and seven factors have been identified as key for an online travel booking experience to be considered satisfactory.

A third trend noted in Travel-Intel this week shows, as no surprise, that an overwhelming 88 percent of Americans plan to take a summer vacation this year -- up 11 percent over last year. However, what is surprising is the amount of money Americans say they are willing to spend on this year's summer fun. 

Some of those trips might be honeymoons, and Travel-Intel looks at one honeymoon destination that might top the list for those who want to make it a bucket list honeymoon. Honeymooning in the Maldives may sound like honeymooning on the moon but, in fact, the Maldives was practically invented for honeymoons. And with such private island resorts as Gili Lankanfushi and Six Senses Laamu, those dreams pop to life. These exotic resorts located on remote atolls in the Indian Ocean are part of the exclusive Kurtz-Ahlers collection of hotels and resorts.

Travel-Intel also looks at cruising in this issue, with a focus on Crystal Cruises and its move to growth. Travel-Intel cruise editor Bill Becken talks with Crystal Cruises' new president and COO, Edie Bornstein.

Travel-Intel, the weekly travel industry news channel from Tours.com, reaches more than 100,000 sellers of travel in the U.S. and Canada and is also posted online.

The publication reports from travel conferences and popular hotels, resorts, cruise ships and travel destinations with stories that feature the latest intel on travel. Current features and archives can be viewed at www.travel-intel.com.

"Travel-Intel serves a very targeted audience of travel sellers with a weekly digital publication that helps this sector stay up with trends and news in travel," says Lark Gould, content director for Travel-Intel and Tours.com. "Travel consultants are short on time and need a continuous flow of information to keep up. Travel-Intel is there to help them master this fast-moving industry. Consumers are able to see the articles online and these include some fantastic travel deals and package offers that we publish regularly."

As a veteran travel journalist who has been covering the travel industry for more than 20 years, Gould puts her incisive perspective into the weekly publication, with features and news updates, and also "packages" issues that detail great deals to be found at hotels and resort locations worldwide. Travel-Intel can be viewed as a stand-alone site on Tours.com. Gould publishes travel columns in Larkslist, Business Traveler, genConnect and Barclay's Travel Community.

About Tours.com: Tours.com Since 1995 - The Official Directory of Tours & Vacations Worldwide. Tours.com has a deep and searchable database of vacation and tour companies searchable by company name, destination and/or activity. A comprehensive one-stop Travel Resource section, plus the Find a Travel Agent Specialist search allows one to search for travel agents with in-depth knowledge in their chosen specialty.