Croatia has been picked as the top up-and-coming European destination in 2012, according to a survey covering 640 travel agents in the United States, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Wednesday.
The findings of the survey, conducted by "Travel Leaders", the largest travel agency franchisor in North America with over 1,250 franchised locations, show that Croatia is the top up-and-coming destination in Europe for over a third of the agents, Reuters reported recently in its "Business Traveler" section.
"Asked to pick the top up-and-coming international destinations, over a third of the agents chose Croatia for Europe, and one-half said Vietnam led in Asia. Panama edged out Ecuador and Brazil among destinations within Central/South America," Reuters reported.
"Shaky economy notwithstanding, Americans intend to travel farther and spend more in 2012, according to a nationwide poll," the agency said.
The HTZ has said that several American magazines have listed Croatia among top recommendations for this year. For instance, Lonely Planet declared Croatia the top destination in 2012, with the island of Hvar being added to its "Best in Travel 2012" list.
Conde Nast Traveler too has put Hvar among the top 10 European islands, while National Geographic has added Istria to the best journeys in 2012.
