More than ever, high-end vacation destinations are a moving target.

Long favored destinations, such as the iconic cities of Western Europe and the ritzy Caribbean resorts, are being supplanted with new locales. Much of this can be attributed to recent acts of terrorism in France and Brussels. And the Zika virus has drastically curtailed trips to South America and the Caribbean, particularly for millennials and Gen-Xers.

As a result, some risk-averse travelers are choosing domestic vacations, while others are willing to go the extra mile, and expense, to avoid the world’s troubled spots.

Jack Ezon, president of Ovations Vacations in New York City, saw a 23 percent drop in European vacations with his clients in 2016, which is consistent with the industry. But his clients didn’t stay home; they simply went elsewhere.

“While for the first time in my career, I was able to snag a coveted St. Tropez (France) room in July and August, getting a room on the Amalfi Coast (Italy) or even Mykonos (Greece) was virtually impossible. People felt these countries were safe enough to visit without anxiety,” he said.

So, where did that 23 percent go instead of Europe?

“What we witnessed was our most sizeable and historic shift to people traveling within North America,” he said.

There are essentially two types of travelers, says Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel in New York City. There’s the traditional “bucket-list” vacationer who prefers the tried-and-true. And there’s the more adventurous trekker, who looks for more of a participatory experience off the grid. Some want comfort and luxury; some seek a more challenging, rugged environment.

With that in mind, here are the top 10 luxury vacation destinations for the wealthy, according to 18 luxury travel agents surveyed by Private Wealth:

10. Antarctica


No longer a well-kept secret, Antarctica is the last great wilderness frontier. You can now see this pristine land by small sailing vessels or luxury ships like Ponant and Quark’s all-suite Island Sky. And with special flights now jumping over the bumpy Drakes Passage, explorers avoid the sea sickness and can see Antarctica in just 7 days. Don’t want to sail? Stay at the new White Desert Adventure Tented Safari Camp. Or you may prefer National Geographic’s 14-day cruise departing from Argentina with a diverse team of experts, including naturalists, historians and a National Geographic photographer, aboard National Geographic's Explorer or Orion cruise liners.