In Europe, still less bang for your buck
Dollar-spending Americans are still traveling abroad -- just not to Europe.
— -- Currency exchange rates across the 21-country European Union are prompting international travelers to look elsewhere this summer.
"More people are traveling internationally, but where they're going is different," says Amy Ziff of Travelocity, the online travel agency.
Summer bookings for countries where the euro is used — such as Spain, France and Italy — are 15% lower than last year, while bookings are up 16% for Eastern European countries that don't use the euro, she says.
American Express's international travel bookings for this summer so far are ahead of last year, with significant growth in China, South America, Hong Kong, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, says Mona Hamouly, spokeswoman for American Express Travel.
Many people who want to leave the USA for a week or so are going to countries where the dollar buys more.
The Caribbean's share of Travelocity's summer bookings is up 15%, the share for South America — including hotspots such as Buenos Aires — is up 13%, and Mexico's share is up 47%.
Mexico's tourism industry is increasing promotions and packages to capitalize on Americans' worry about the euro, says Oscar Fitch, director of Mexico Tourism Board.
Bookings for the first three months of the year are already 10% higher than this time last year, he says.
"Mexico offers some of the things that Europe offers," he says. "Another culture, artists, food, music, and also sun and beach. It's a very nice vacation with a budget that they can afford."
Interest in international trips this summer is being buoyed by the swell in U.S. passport holders.
About 88 million people now hold a passport, according to the U.S. State Department, 19% more than last year.
Western Europe still attracts the most Americans each summer, and it remains popular. American Express says that despite the currency rates, it's seeing double-digit, year-over-year gains in trips to Zurich, Geneva and the rest of Switzerland; Pisa, Italy; and Lisbon, Portugal.
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