A recent survey delves into where in the world people want to visit before they 'kick the bucket' marking the release of the blockbuster film The Bucket List on DVD. Some may condemn this as a morbid subject but in all reality there is a wonderful world out there to be explored and travel is on the top of the agenda for the British public in order to live life to the full.
The volume and diversity of holiday and buying abroad media is feeding our aspirations of where to go and what to do in a world that is becoming easier to access due to leaps in technology and travel; the Bucket List Survey highlights 10 top locations chosen by the public. The Grand Canyon steals the number one slot closely followed by the Great Pyramids in Egypt, The Great Wall of China and Niagara Falls also feature in the list. Overall the destinations, climate and activities cover a very broad spectrum.
Brits are not only making big decisions about where to travel in the world but also where to live. The market for overseas property, including second holiday homes and relocation destinations, is growing particularly amongst young professionals, families and retirees who want to see more of and even settle down in countries around the world. Recent statistics released from the AIPP (Association of International Property Professionals) featuring 2007 figures show that Brits bought approximately 242,000 properties abroad in 2007, an increase of 21% from 2006.
Steve Worboys Director of overseas property company Experience International comments, "Markets such as Egypt, Bulgaria, Morocco and Italy have seen between a 3.7% and 6% increase in foreign property buyers since 2006. I also think that countries such as Tunisia, an emerging market, will experience a growth foreign ownership in the coming years. Whether it is for investment or lifestyle the world has much to offer and perhaps this new film will give us a wider perspective on things."
The Survey
The survey was conducted to coincide with the release of the film The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, out on DVD and Blu-ray this week. For the two characters in the film who learn they are terminally ill and decide to make the most of the time they have, the items on their Bucket List include racing car driving, sky diving, climbing the Pyramids, a lion safari in Africa and a trip to the Taj Mahal.
When asked, "Which places in the world do you want to visit before you 'Kick the Bucket'?" the top responses were:
The Grand Canyon
The Pyramids in Egypt
The Great Barrier Reef
Niagara Falls
Canadian Rockies
Great Wall of China
New York
Sydney
Rome
Venice
When split by gender, the results were slightly different. Women were more interested in visiting the Pyramids in Egypt (44%) compared to men (38%) and women were also more interested in visiting more cities for romantic breaks (New York, Rome, Venice) than men who were keen on going further a field to more exotic locations including Machu Picchu The Taj Mahal and Sydney.
Women would rather travel to:
The Pyramids in Egypt
The Grand Canyon
Niagara Falls
The Great Barrier Reef
Canadian Rockies
New York
Rome
The Great Wall of China
Venice
Tour of America
Men would rather travel to:
The Grand Canyon
Great Wall of China
The Great Barrier Reef
The Pyramids in Egypt
Canadian Rockies
Niagara Falls
Machu Picchu
Sydney
The Taj Mahal
Tour of America
When asked in general, what would they want to do before they Kick the Bucket? The respondents replied:
Visit the Seven Wonders of the World
Swim with Dolphins
Go on Safari
Learn to speak more than one language fluently
Write a best-selling novel
Take a trip in a hot air balloon
Scuba dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Watch all their DVDs
Do a sky-dive
Make amends with a friend of family member they have fallen out with
About the survey:
The survey by Opinion Matters / Tickbox.net of 1,519 UK adults aged 18+ was commissioned by Warner Home Video to mark the release of The Bucket List.