2006 hot spots include Colorado, China, Croatia
	While travel to perennial favorites like Los Angeles, Orlando, New York and Las Vegas is always strong, some unexpected destinations -- from Colorado and Arizona to Croatia and China -- are showing up as hot spots for travel as the 2006 season begins.
Colorado: Colorado was tied with California and Alaska as top domestic destinations among tour companies surveyed by the U.S. Tour Operators Association, whose members send 11 million Americans on leisure tours around the world each year. "Because of the year-round opportunities there for leisure, Colorado is very popular," said Bob Whitley, president of USTOA. While Colorado is best-known for winter sports, some ski resorts are now open year-round for other types of recreation like mountain biking, according to John Metzger, spokesman for the Colorado Office of Economic Development. The state also offers hiking, whitewater rafting, kayaking and plenty of mountain-climbing. "We even have a wine country now -- yet another summer attraction," Metzger said. Arizona: American Express Vacations reports that bookings to Hawaii are up substantially, but one of the biggest surprises domestically is a demand for spa and golf vacations in Arizona, according to Francesca Bonavita, the company's vice president of product and global brand development. "As a result, we've added this U.S. destination in our portfolio for 2006," Bonavita says. Wellness travel: The appeal of spa, golf and other types of R&R ties into another travel trend -- the rise of "wellness" vacations that combine fitness, yoga, massage, healthy menus and the like. "Wellness centers" are opening in places ranging from the Aerie Resort on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to the Cambridge Beaches cottage colony in Bermuda. And tour companies are offering specialty trips, like a "Healing Vacation" in Hawaii from Well Traveled Tours, a new Boca Raton, Florida-based company whose trips combine sightseeing, spa visits, and health-and-fitness programs. Justin McNaull, spokesman for AAA, says the term "wellness vacation" might be more appealing to some consumers than a spa vacation, which "might seem a little self-indulgent. The health and wellness side seems a little less decadent. You're investing in yourself as opposed to pampering yourself. It's self-improvement." External Source - For the complete article click here Source - CNN