February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
According to the Harris Poll, the top six countries were followed by Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Mexico.
The poll was conducted online last month.
The Harris Poll’s Nancy Wong said in an interview, “Ireland has come in third for the past three years; prior to that, Ireland was either seventh, sixth or fifth in the poll since 1997.”
Respondents to the poll are asked a single question: “If you could spend a vacation in any country in the world, outside the United States, and you would not have to worry about the cost, what one country would you choose?”
The Harris organization noted that “the three top preferences — Australia, Italy and Britain – were all part of President Bush’s “coalition of the willing” and have sent troops to fight alongside U.S. troops in Iraq.”
It did not highlight that France, distinctive for its outspoken opposition to the “coalition of the willing,” has now been ranked fourth in the poll for the past three years, despite many conservative politicians deriding its anti-war stance.
While the top six places in this list of favorite vacation destinations have not changed since last year, several other countries have moved up and down the list. Canada has improved its ranking by five, while Greece dropped four to 14
Jamaica, voted the 13th favorite destination, and China (15th) also moved up.
The poll included a nationwide cross section of 2,242 adults, and includes an error rate of plus or minus two percent.