The survey also found American travelers plan to spend more next year, take to the air more often and visit both international and domestic destinations.

More than a quarter of Americans plan to travel before the new year, particularly during the holidays, the survey found. A survey of American Express travel agents reported that they expect Honolulu, Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas and Miami to be the top U.S. destinations for the rest of the year.

Hawai'i also tops the list of U.S. destinations in 2004. Next year, agents said, they also expect Alaska, Las Vegas, New York City and Orlando to be top popular destinations.

"It’s totally good news," said Barbara Okamoto, vice president for customer relationship management for the Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau. "Hawai'i has been hugely popular this year and even going back to the recovery of 9-11, Hawai'i had arguably the best recovery of any domestic destination."

Westbound travel to Hawai'i through September increased 7.1 percent over the first nine months of 2002.

Okamoto said American Express surveys have strong credibility with the visitor industry and that she has no reason to doubt its predictions.

"I would see it as an accurate barometer of what is to come," she said.

They survey found that for long vacations, travelers said they plan to spend an average of $2,962 on airfare, accommodations and other vacation expenses in 2004 — $799 more than in 2003. In addition, the number of travelers planning to spend more than $5,000 on long vacations in 2004 nearly doubled, to about 11 percent of those surveyed.

Still, the vast majority of travelers across all income groups called themselves "value-minded."

The survey also predicts a jump in air travel — 55 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a domestic or international flight, compared with 44 percent in 2002. More than three-quarters of airline travelers said they are attracted to discount airlines, such as JetBlue, Southwest and Song.

Cynthia Valles, senior vice president in the Consumer Travel Network at American Express, said cities’ efforts at family-focused programs have become crucial to attracting tourists. Many people are planning trips far from home for the first time since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Valles said, and are increasingly interested in traveling with their family.

"The events over the past several years have a profound effect on traveling," she said at the American Society of Travel Agents’ World Travel Congress in Miami Beach.

The survey shows that more people are thinking about traveling internationally. American Express travel agents predicted the top destinations in this category in 2004 will be Rome, Cancun, London, Athens and Paris.

Though 45 percent of travelers said they use the Internet to plan trips, the majority of travelers still prefer to book their trips over the phone or through an agent, the survey showed.

Some credit the state of the economy for the anticipated jump in the travel industry.

The American Express Leisure Travel Index was based on a telephone poll of 1,356 adults nationwide conducted Sept. 23-29. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.