Hot Holiday Spots for 2011

Travel is picking up! Like anything that involves seasonal activities or deals, there are trends when it comes to travel, and a few places are leading the way for travelers worldwide. Curious about what’s particularly hot for 2011? If you head where tourism is heating up, you can find quality packages, pepped-up service, and nice new activities and monuments, all perfect for families and single travelers alike.

Top Spots for Traveling
New York is one of the most popular spots for traveling in 2011, but the reason for it is somber: next year will be the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The September 11th memorial, with reflecting pools set near the World Trade Center site, is due to be open by the anniversary. Lonely Planet named New York the “number-one city” for Best in Travel 2011, with the publisher’s Robert Reid writing "For all of New York, 11 September 2011 will be a defining moment.”

We can’t forget about London. Always a wonderful spot to visit, it will be more crowded than ever come April 29th. Kate Middleton and Prince William will be getting married on that date--and even are rumored to be inviting some of regular folk to attend--and it’s expected that the nuptials will result in a tourism boom.

"If Charles and Diana got 600,000 people who came into London for that wedding, I could see a million for this one," Pauline Frommer, creator of the Pauline Frommer Guides, said.

And there’s more, too! Alaska is expecting crowds in 2011, because of the success of Sarah Palin’s TLC series Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Australia invited Oprah Winfrey and her most loyal fans to the country, spending $4 million, but they expect to reap the rewards in upcoming seasons. Meanwhile, back in the States, Washington D.C. expects a large gathering when the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial is erected at the National Mall. The 28-foot-tall statue will be erected on August 28th, close to where his “I have a dream” speech was given 48 years prior.

There are quite a few options for you for 2011, and now it's a question of trimming down your list--always the hardest part!