One thing US travelers are more often leaving behind: clothing.
“TripAdvisor asked 22,091 of its US readers if they would bare all at the beach and 48 percent said yes. This is up from last year’s nude beach survey, in which 31 percent of respondents said they would ‘love to see and be seen’ at a clothing-optional destination,” the site says.
What’s the appeal?
"Travelers indicate in their reviews that the real appeal of nude beaches has nothing to do with flaunting one’s flesh or checking out the neighboring eye candy," said Amelie Hurst, a TripAdvisor spokeswoman. "Rather the spaces often benefit from a lack of crowds and beautiful settings that can be enjoyed by any demographic."
TripAdvisor dedicated one of its recent e-newsletters to the nakation trend, highlighting the top member-recommended beaches for travelers to "strip down to their smile." Little Banana Beach in Skiathos, Greece, took top nod, followed by resorts in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia, Croatia and France.
"While nude beaches might be less common in the US than in other destinations around the world, the interest certainly appears to be there, with nearly half of US travelers we surveyed appearing quite comfortable in their own skin and willing to bare it all waterside," TripAdvisor spokesman Brooke Ferencsik said.
The nude move continues with a new Turkish resort in the works, a hiking trail that opened in Germany and more camping spots in Canada.
By David Wilkening
