Top Ten World Travel Destinations in 2002

Shows Impact of 9/11

CHICAGO, January 15, 2003- iExplore announced today the list of Top Ten World Travel Destinations as determined by the vacation purchases of adventure and experiential travelers.

2002 Rank		2001 Rank	2000 Rank
1	CHINA	3	16
2	PERU	1	1
3	GALAPAGOS	6	5
4	ALASKA	11	17
5	COSTA RICA	8	12
6	EGYPT	2	13
7	AUSTRALIA	21	24
8	ITALY	4	10
9	VIETNAM	17	21
10	IRELAND	32	54
Notable Declines Post 9/11
30	TANZANIA	9	8
29	MOROCCO	7	27
23	INDIA	11	7
14	NEPAL	10	3

iExplore founder and CEO, George Deeb, said "since 9/11, we have seen a shift to closer-to-home destinations and countries that are perceived as safe. Countries in the Middle East have been particularly hard hit, as have other areas of unrest like India and Nepal." Deeb continued, "North and South America are particularly strong, as is China, as tourists flock to cruise the gorges of the Yangtze River before they are flooded by newly constructed dams."

Founded in 1999, iExplore is the leading online resource for adventure and experiential travelers desiring to get off-the-beaten-path. With an offering of over 3,000 trips in 140 countries, iExplore is committed to offering the best customer service in travel through its easy-to-use trip database at www.iExplore.com and its staff of highly trained adventure consultants at 1-800-IEXPLORE. iExplore is partly owned by National Geographic, the authority in global exploration.

Note to editors:
Deeb available for interview.
Photos available.

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Press Contact: George Deeb
Founder and CEO
iExplore, Inc.
312-492-9443 x102