17 December 2009

Study looks at 2009 travel trends to predict 2010

Insider Index, which offers guides to this year’s travel to better plan for next year, found Las Vegas was the most popular destination for 2009. A major reason: record low hotel rates.

Some surprises from Orbitz’s "Insider Index" include the fact Thanksgiving was not the busiest time for travel. Christmas came in first.

For the future, Orbitz recommends travelers look at the slowest travel time this year, which is predicted to be the week after Christmas.

For international destinations, Americans looked to warm weather spots such as Mexico and the Caribbean.

Typical favorites London and Paris remained popular in part because average daily hotel rates dropped more than 15 percent.

Orbitz says 2009 travel leads to these implications:

Ã¯Æ’~¼ "In 2010, Vegas will have more hotel rooms than ever before," says Reid Webster, regional director for Orbitz Worldwide ."The new CityCenter resort community is not only going to be the hottest new destination on The Strip, but the thousands of additional hotel rooms will mean more options and great room rates for travelers."

Ã¯Æ’~¼ Hawaii is expected to have spectacular offers for travel during the first half of the year.

Ã¯Æ’~¼ Winter airfares to Hawaii are also expected to be "very reasonable."

Ã¯Æ’~¼ "Hawaii looks to be even more affordable for travelers in 2010," says Stacey Meyer, Hawaii senior market manager for Orbitz.

Ã¯Æ’~¼ Sky country in North America has already had an "incredibly early season" with bigger hotel discounts for longer lengths of stay, says David De Lalio, ski & mountain manager.

Ã¯Æ’~¼ Deals for cruises will be even better this year than the last. "And with some amazing new ships that have more enticing features than ever before, travelers will find plenty of incentives to book a cabin," says Jessica Labaire, merchandising manager.

By David Wilkening