Trends: Eco-hotels, cruises, Croatia await in '08

— Laura Bly

Destinations

• Hot destinations. The high cost of gas will spark more visits to state and national parks near large urban populations, says Pauline Frommer, creator of the Pauline Frommer guidebook series and travel expert at MSN.com. Argentina's popularity will continue to rise because "it's incredibly sophisticated and affordable," says Todd Sotkiewicz, president of Lonely Planet guidebook's U.S. office. And Carlson Wagonlit Travel's annual forecast of hot spots once again ranks perennial domestic front-runner Las Vegas No. 1 in early bookings for 2008. "It's the city that just keeps reinventing itself," says agency spokesman Steve Loucks. "Every time you turn around, there's a new hot casino or resort."

• Value destinations. With the Olympic Games looming, China is an obvious draw, and thanks to a favorable currency exchange, it's also a bargain. All-inclusive deals start in the $1,000 range, Frommer says. Sotkiewicz likes Vietnam's affordability, particularly at southern beach resorts. Mexico remains a solid choice for closer-to-home seaside deals. Loucks notes that Mediterranean cruises are more popular because travelers can pay one price in U.S. dollars.

• Emerging destinations. Carlson Wagonlit's Eastern European bookings are heating up, and Croatia, in particular, is "on fire," says Loucks, thanks in part to the relative strength of the dollar in European countries that don't use the euro. Similarly, lesser-known Latin American destinations such as Nicaragua, where the dollar still has some clout, are drawing more interest among Americans, some of whom are looking for retirement homes, Frommer says.

— Jayne Clark