Alexandria, Va., March, 2011– When it comes to heading abroad for summer vacation, London, Rome, Paris, Cancun remained American’s top four choices for the eighth consecutive year according to the 2011 Hot Spots for Summer study. The survey, which asked ASTA travel agents what destinations were hot for this summer season, found that Western European destinations are the most popular overall with six cities in the top 10.

Rounding out the top 10 city hot spots were Punta Cana, Dublin, Barcelona, Venice, Sydney and Istanbul. This year was the first time that Sydney and Istanbul have joined the top 10. Last year, Istanbul hosted ASTA’s International Destination Expo, which brought more than 1,200 travel professionals together to learn about the culture, attractions and travel business of Turkey and its neighboring countries.

“Americans are interspersing trips to such tried-and-true favorites as Mexico and Europe, with the opportunity to experience new cultures and regions of the world. Istanbul and Sydney both are new entrants to the list and are holding a great deal of attraction for U.S. travelers,” said Chris Russo, ASTA president and chair.

When asked to name which countries or regions are most popular with Americans traveling abroad, Italy ranked first, with the United Kingdom remaining in second place again. Mexico ranked third, followed by France and the Caribbean, in fourth and fifth place, respectively. The same five countries/regions have remained in the top five for more than five years.

Survey data was collected through the 2011 ASTA Research Family. This survey has a 95-percent rate confidence with an error rate +/-4.3 percent.