Summer Travelers Gear Up to Hit the Roads and the Sky
Latest Expedia Travel Trendwatch Showcases Savvy Ways to Plan a Value Vacation
Expedia (R), the world's leading online travel company,
today released the new issue of the quarterly Expedia Travel Trendwatch
(R), focused on the upcoming summer travel season.
The report highlights how some popular summer destinations
are actually cheaper this year and gives advice on how to offset other
rising travel costs
"The summer vacation is a cherished American tradition, and
travelers are looking to share these experiences while making the most
of their vacation budget," said Chris McGinnis, editor, Expedia Travel
Trendwatch. "There are lots of affordable vacation options available
this summer with many families finding their adventure in a road trip to
a nearby beach."
Key summer travel trends reported in the current issue of the Expedia Travel Trendwatch include:
1) I Want My Summer Vacation!
-- Travelers will be more cautious with their spending and will be on
the hunt for vacation values.
-- To make this value vacation happen, travelers will try budget-
conscious tactics, such as shortening the length of their trips,
staying at less expensive hotels, having more picnics instead of
expensive restaurant meals or driving instead of flying.
2) Know When and Where to Book
-- Mid-week offers the best deals, versus travel on the weekend --
flights are generally less expensive on Tuesday, Wednesday or
Thursday.
-- Not all prices are up this year -- hotel rates in some "fly-to"
destinations are down including Hawaii and Alaska.
-- More hotels are willing to offer promotional rates this summer.
3) Latin America Increasingly Popular
-- While perennial European favorites -- such as Rome, London and
Paris -- remain popular with American travelers, there is growing
interest in Latin American destinations -- such as Mexico, Puerto
Rico and the Dominican Republic.
-- The fastest growing Latin American destinations are more exotic,
with more travel to Paraguay, Peru and Argentina. Argentina alone,
according to the country's tourism office, saw the number of U.S.
visitors grow 35 percent between 2005 and 2007.
About Expedia Travel Trendwatch
Expedia Travel Trendwatch(R) is a quarterly report on
consumer travel trends, plus insight and tips from Expedia.com(R), the
world's leading online travel service, and Chris McGinnis, a 20-year
travel industry veteran who is the editor of the report. McGinnis'
travel industry insight and expertise, coupled with unparalleled travel
intelligence from Expedia.com, can be found throughout each report,
providing a treasure trove of data, trends, and tips designed to help
empower and inform travelers.
About Chris McGinnis:
Chris McGinnis is the editor of the Expedia Travel
Trendwatch. Prior to teaming up with Expedia in early 2006, McGinnis
covered the travel beat in a variety of roles, from travel correspondent
on CNN Headline News and travel columnist for the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution and Entrepreneur magazine, to producer of special
travel sections for Fortune magazine. Based in San Francisco, his is
also a speaker, consultant and the author of two books on travel: The
Unofficial Business Traveler's Pocket Guide and 202 Tips Even the Best
Business Travelers May Not Know (McGraw-Hill).
About Expedia
Expedia(R) is the world's leading online travel provider,
helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel.
Expedia (http://www.expedia.com/) aims to provide personalized service,
the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages,
flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities,
attractions, and services. With the Expedia(R) Best Price Guarantee,
Expedia promises to offer to its customers the best rates available
online for all types of travel, making it the most comprehensive
customer guarantee in online travel. Expedia is dedicated to positively
impacting global tourism by providing travelers environmentally
conscious travel options. Expedia is a founding member of the World
Heritage Alliance -- a joint initiative with the United Nations
Foundation to promote sustainable tourism. Expedia is an operating
company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) .
Expedia, Expedia.com and Travel Trendwatch are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or
other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned
herein may be the property of their respective owners.
(C) 2008 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-40
Source: Expedia, Inc.
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 27, 2008/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --