77 Percent of Americans Plan to Take a Summer Vacation According to Orbitz Survey
Orbitz Paints Summer Travel Outlook and Reports Airfares Down to Majority of Top Destinations
CHICAGO, May 1, 2013 - More than three-quarters of Americans plan to take a summer vacation this year, with nearly half of all travelers planning a beach trip filled with salt, sand, sun and seafood as the preferred destination according to new survey data released by Orbitz (www.orbitz.com).1 When asked who they would be taking that vacation with, nearly half (45 percent) responded with the whole family, followed by 33 percent who will be traveling with a significant other.
The beach getaway was the runaway winner (42 percent) in regards to the type of vacation travelers are planning - historical/cultural (15 percent) and cruise (13 percent) were the second and third most popular vacation types respectively. Consumers' desire for sandy summer travel was also reflected in the Orbitz Summer Travel Insider Index, which analyzed air and hotel booking data made through Orbitz.com. Beach locales Cancun, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Maui all made the Insider Index list of the top 10 most popular summer destinations, with Cancun coming in No. 3 behind only Orlando and Las Vegas.
Many plan to take advantage of July Fourth falling on a Thursday; 66 percent plan to take the following Friday off, and 42 percent plan to take their summer vacation in July.
"With the economy continuing to rebound, we're seeing consumers move away from settling on a shorter summer road trip and think more about that big vacation to someplace like Cancun," said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com. "Airfare has taken a dip from last summer, and there are great deals available through promotions and mobile booking; it makes it easier for you to take that big trip and still bring the whole family."
To that point, when consumers were asked what cost-saving tactic they are most likely to use to stay within their vacation budget, shortening the vacation came in last (11 percent) while eating some meals in the room instead of dining out was first (34 percent).
Highlights from the Orbitz Summer Travel Insider Index include:
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Orlando tops the list as the most popular destination for summer 2013 with affordable hotel rates ($131 per night) and airfare ($295) likely being a factor
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Airfare is down year-over-year to nine of the top summer destinations, with Denver (-14 percent), New York (-11 percent) and Honolulu (-10 percent) experiencing double-digit drops in ticket prices
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Of the top 10 summer hotspots, only Las Vegas (-3 percent) and Denver (-7 percent) are experiencing a drop in year-over-year hotel rates, signaling strong demand in the top summer hotel markets
| Orbitz Insider Index: 2013 Top 10 Summer Destinations2 |
| Rank | Destination | Avg. Airfare 2013 | Avg. Airfare 2012 | YOY Change | Hotel Avg. Daily Rate 2013 | Hotel Avg. Daily Rate 2012 | YOY change |
| 1 | Orlando | $295 | $303 | -3% | $131 | $126 | 5% |
| 2 | Las Vegas | $327 | $347 | -6% | $138 | $142 | -3% |
| 3 | Cancun | $537 | $522 | 3% | $310 | $201 | 54% |
| 4 | Seattle | $412 | $414 | -0.5% | $229 | $171 | 34% |
| 5 | Los Angeles | $363 | $365 | -0.5% | $201 | $168 | 20% |
| 6 | Honolulu | $737 | $822 | -10% | $265 | $181 | 47% |
| 7 | New York | $292 | $329 | -11% | $312 | $301 | 4% |
| 8 | San Francisco | $379 | $403 | -6% | $279 | $222 | 26% |
| 9 | Maui | $706 | $753 | -6% | $266 | $265 | 0.3% |
| 10 | Denver | $294 | $340 | -14% | $169 | $181 | -7% |
Affordable Summer Destinations
While the outlook for the travel industry mirrors the upward trend in the stock and housing markets, consumers remain cost-conscious when planning their summer vacation. Seventy-five percent of travelers surveyed said they plan to keep their summer vacation budget under $2,500 and nearly a third (31 percent) say if gas prices rise above $4, they will not cancel but scale back their summer vacation plans.
To help ensure travelers get the most bang for their travel buck, Orbitz used airfare and hotel price data to calculate the Top 10 Most Affordable Summer Destinations for 2013. Orbitz is also launching a special Summer Hotel Sale, where customers can save up to 50 percent off hotels worldwide through June 30.3
| Orbitz Insider Index: Most Affordable Summer Destinations 20134 |
| 2013 Rank | Destination | 2013 Average Daily Hotel Rate | 2013 Average Airfare | 5 Night Trip Per Person |
| 1 | Tampa | $123 | $272 | $887 |
| 2 | Orlando | $131 | $295 | $953 |
| 3 | Fort Lauderdale | $147 | $272 | $1,005 |
| 4 | Las Vegas | $138 | $327 | $1,018 |
| 5 | Denver | $169 | $294 | $1,138 |
| 6 | San Juan, Puerto Rico
| $188 | $380 | $1,320 |
| 7 | Miami | $201 | $327 | $1,334 |
| 8 | Los Angeles | $201 | $363 | $1,368 |
| 9 | Seattle | $229 | $412 | $1,558 |
| 10 | Washington, D.C. | $254 | $321 | $1,589 |
Top Drive Destinations by Region
A dip in airfare has freed up many Americans to fly farther from home this summer, for others the summer road trip remains an annual warm weather tradition. With the rise in mobile travel options - like the Orbitz apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire - travelers are increasingly able to research, find and book hotels, all from the road.
To help travelers pick the hottest spot for their summer road trip, Orbitz has compiled the top three driving destinations for each region of the country - that is places where the number of room nights booked sees the biggest increase during the busy summer season.
Orbitz.com Top Summer
Drive Destinations by Region5 |
| Region | 2013 Hotel Avg. Daily Rate | 2012 Hotel Avg. Daily Rate | YOY Change |
| East Coast |
| Ocean City, MD | $237 | $223 | 6% |
| Cape Cod | $216 | $203 | 6% |
| Cooperstown, NY | $152 | $114 | 33% |
| Midwest |
| Traverse City, MI | $179 | $154 | 16% |
| Wisconsin Dells, WI | $135 | $121 | 12% |
| Sandusky, OH | $109 | $103 | 6% |
| West Coast |
| Spokane, WA | $119 | $109 | 10% |
| Santa Barbara, CA | $267 | $229 | 16% |
| Napa Valley, CA | $296 | $217 | 37% |
| Southeast |
| Carolina Beaches | $129 | $115 | 12% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $210 | $197 | 7% |
| Panama City, FL | $190 | $179 | 6% |
| Southwest |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $117 | $96 | 21% |
| South Padre Island, TX | $187 | $164 | 14% |
| Albuquerque, NM | $81 | $91 | -11% |
| Mountain/Outdoor |
| Yellowstone, MT | $242 | $241 | flat |
| Rapid City, SD | $144 | $136 | 6% |
| Durango, CO | $149 | $146 | 2% |
For more information on how travelers will spend their summer vacations view the Orbitz summer travel infographic.
Terms & Conditions
1The Orbitz summer survey was fielded by Orbitz from April 1 - 10, 2013 via insightexpress. 750 U.S. adults aged 18 and older who had traveled within the past twelve months were surveyed.
2The Orbitz Insider Index top ten destinations were ranked based on all air bookings (standalone air and air as part of a package) made on Orbitz.com for travel between June 1 and August 31, 2013. The year-over-year percentage change in average daily hotel rate was calculated based on the difference in average air and hotel pricing in each destination in 2013 vs. 2012 for travel between June 1 and August 31.
3Offers valid at participating hotels only and are subject to availability. Offers vary by property. Minimum night stay may be required, and varies by property. Rules, restrictions, and blackout dates may apply. See property pages for further details.
4Orbitz Insider Index Most Affordable Summer Destinations is based on average cost of a 5 night 6 day trip for one, calculation is (hotel ADR)* 5 +(Avg. air RT).
5Top summer drive destinations by region were calculated by comparing which regional destinations had the biggest increase in hotel room nights in high season( June through August) compared to off season (December through February).
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About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and book an array of travel products and services, including flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Since launching its website in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the largest online travel sites in the world and has led the industry with innovations including the Orbitz Matrix Display and Orbitz Price Assurance. The Matrix Display revolutionized the way the travel industry displayed fares and makes it quick and easy for consumers to compare flights, rental cars and vacation packages. Orbitz.com also offers "Insider Steals," a weekly, members-only flash sale that provides exclusive deals for handpicked hotels in top destinations around the world as well as "Mobile Steals," exclusive hotel deals of up to 50% off in the most popular destinations around the world, available to mobile consumers via m.orbitz.com and the full suite of Orbitz mobile apps. On Orbitz.com consumers can search a broad range of suppliers worldwide. Orbitz.com is owned by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW). Stay connected to Orbitz.com with sale alerts, exclusive promotions and engaging conversations by following Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and the Orbitz Travel Blog.
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to search for, plan and book a broad range of travel products and services including airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com) and HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world's largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations.
Orbitz Worldwide uses its Investor Relations website to make information available to its investors and the public at investors.orbitz.com. The public can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.
Media Contact: Marita Hudson Thomas, +1-312-260-8304, marita.thomas@orbitz.com
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