A study of in which country Americans would most like to travel in provides to me some very surprising results.
The study, conducted for travel agents and group tours so they can hype the right markets, was done by the Global Market Institute of Seattle, was part of its latest Nation Brand Index study and was conducted with Simon Anholt, an author of books on how countries are perceived as brands.
So the 10 Ten (not top European countries, but all countries)
Well i though it could be fun to have Fodor experts weigh in with what they think Americans would select as their favorite travel destination country?
Any ideas - answers of course will follow, and of course this is one study and presumably not definitive!

France, Italy & Germany immediately come to mind. Do you have a link to the study ?

No link given but i'm sure Googling the Institute and study name would work.
Just one of the three countries you name makes the Top Ten!

("subjects were asked to rate each country on a 7 point scale, with seven being "strongly most likely to go" and one represnting the least interest&quot

Note that the countries Americans actually travel in would be quite different than what this poll found - the difference between dreams and other factors i guess.

Well, I'm tempted to play the part of the self-hating American and say the #1 answer was Hawaii.

I'm guessing Australia and England are on the list. I'm surprised that France and Italy aren't both on it.

Hi P,

Based on the number of threads on this site and Frommers the top European destination is Italy, with France a distant 2nd.

In terms of actual travel, I just read that Paris was the top destination of Americans.

Spain is currently tops for a country...Spain pushed ahead of France in the past few years. Of course, every study probably says something different.

I certainly know that my dream destinations are different than those I have actually visited.

Hi PalQ..I think the answer is probably France.

UK, France and Italy.

Nope, France, though in actuality a top travel destination of Americans, is not in the Top Ten of their wish list! (Maybe has something to do with the Freedom Fries B.S.?)
Six European nations are in the Top Ten.

Mexico
Caribbean
UK
Italy

1. America

Next: Some mixture of New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Canada, Switzerland and Sweden
Next: Mexico, Italy and Germany

I'd guess Ireland's not in at all. This research needs a prompt list, and I bet Anhalt doesn't include Ireland among the prompts.

The research is probably accurate. Since most Americans don't travel abroad, the "wish list" (actually a ranking of the foreign countries they'd least hate to be in) for all Americans will inevitably be very different from the wish list of the (by definition, unrepresentative) minority who actually travel.

Some years back Austria made the top of a similar list -- can't imagine it stayed there,

Mexico is the most popular destination for Americans today (they really mean Cancun and a few other resorts) followed by Canada.

But where would they most like to go? I'll say Australia.

By the way -- the NYT had a note today that Freedom Fries are no longer on the menu at the Capitol, thank god. It's back to French fries.

"Freedom Fries" were stupid from the start.

I was thinking England, especially London. No language problem. I wouldn't think the Scandanavian countries would be high on the list because of the cost, but there for sure is no language problem, at least for english speakers. My other choice would be Italy, with France next. Looking forward to the answers.

"Freedom Fries" were stupid from the start !!
Especially since they are a Belgian invention
(not to mention the typically American 'French toast')

I couldn't find this elusive institute...can you share the Top 10 ? I need a good laugh, after all, it is Friday...

Flanneruk and pousianas take the prize:

Here's the list:
(numbers refer to the seven-point scale they were asked to rate them on - flanneruk - there were 35 prompt-up countries to chose from)
1- U.S. 5.890
2-Australia 6.560
3-Canada 5.482
4-Italy 5.468
5-U.K. 5.244
6-Ireland 5.222
7-Switzerland 5.128
8-New Zealand 5.106
9-Sweden 5.022 (!!!)
10-Netherlands 5.018

And let it be noted that the U.S. House cafeteria only yesterday removed the words Freedom Fries from their posted menu!

Oh and the study appeared in the July 31, 2006 issue of TravelWeekly magazine, an in-house mag for travel industry.

Some Guesses
Germany, Ireland, Poland, UK, Italy, Sweden (maybe all because of ancestry)

Israel (For both political and Religious reasons). Egypt (How could anybody not be attracted by the pyramids), Japan Australia.

Whoops - answers published while typing.
I would guess New Zealand because of LOTR ?