CHICAGO, Aug. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orbitz.com® today released the Labor Day edition of its Insider Index, which reveals most travelers are seeking big city escapes and one last beach getaway, especially to beaches in the eastern region of the United States, this holiday weekend. The Index also takes a look back at where people went, what they did and the biggest event of Summer 2016 – the global games. Rio was a hot spot for summer travel with Orbitz.com flight demand from the U.S. nearly doubling year-over-year to the destination during the games.
Labor Day Insights from the Orbitz Insider Index
Orbitz.com analysts identified the top domestic destinations for Labor Day weekend. The analysts also looked beyond the 10 most popular destinations and uncovered interesting trends surrounding international and beach travel for the holiday weekend.
Insights include:
- Las Vegas landed the top spot for domestic travel but big cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York dominate the list for Labor Day weekend.
- Although domestic travel is far more popular, some Americans are opting for an international adventure over the holiday weekend. Popularity to European hotspots, particularly Barcelona and Athens, spiked among travelers on Orbitz.com. Canadian cities Toronto and Montreal are also showing higher-than-average popularity for the Labor Day weekend as compared to the rest of the year.
- Great deals are still available in some of the most popular destinations, especially Las Vegas and Orlando where hotel prices are under $150 per night on average. A strong U.S. dollar also gives travelers the opportunity to take advantage of great rates internationally.
- Although these destinations did not land on the top 10 list, Orbitz.com data shows Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ocean City, Md. and Cape Cod, Mass. are more popular over the Labor Day weekend compared to other high volume travel seasons throughout the year.
| ORBITZ.COM TOP 10 DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS FOR LABOR DAY1 | ||||||
| Destinations | Average Ticket Prices | Average Daily Hotel Prices | ||||
| Las Vegas, Nev. | $ | 322 | $ | 144 | ||
| Los Angeles, Calif. | $ | 279 | $ | 178 | ||
| Chicago, Ill. | $ | 292 | $ | 177 | ||
| San Diego, Calif. | $ | 318 | $ | 182 | ||
| New York, N.Y. | $ | 358 | $ | 295 | ||
| Orlando, Fla. | $ | 264 | $ | 127 | ||
| Orange County, Calif. | $ | 279 | $ | 180 | ||
| Denver, Colo. | $ | 320 | $ | 155 | ||
| San Francisco, Calif. | $ | 331 | $ | 190 | ||
| Seattle, Wash. | $ | 352 | $ | 227 | ||
Travelers can score last-minute deals on Labor Day travel using promotion code “TRIPLOVE” for 15 percent off hotel stays.2 To find Labor Day flights under $200, visit https://www.orbitz.com/flightdeals.
Orbitz.com Summer Lookback Report
In addition to its Labor Day insights, Orbitz.com analysts also looked back at top summer travel trends including where travelers went, what they did and of course summer’s biggest event – the global games in Rio. Insights are based on Orbitz.com summer booking data from June through August 2016:
- The Global Games in Rio:3 The games in Rio made the South American city a popular travel destination this summer, though air travel came at a premium price as round trip tickets averaged $1,300. The majority of travelers who went to cheer on Team USA were from Florida, California and New York—these states accounted for over 50 percent of tickets sold on Orbitz.com to Rio.
- Most Popular States: California, Florida and Texas were the three most-traveled-to states for summer travel indicating consumer desire for coastal getaways.
- Theme Parks Reigned:4 Theme parks and tours proved to be some of summer’s most popular activities for travelers. Some of summer’s most popular parks, surprisingly, were located in Cancun, including Xel-Ha Park and Ventura Amusement & Water Park. The ever-popular Walt Disney World was also a theme park favorite. Cancun’s Chichen Itza Tours reigned supreme as one of Orbitz.com’s customers top tours for summer.
- APAC Travel: Asia Pacific destinations proved to be popular for summer travel with China, India and the Philippines landing in the top 10 for international travel.
Terms and Conditions
1Labor Day top destinations based on standalone hotel bookings on Orbitz.com between 06.06.16 – 08.11.16 for travel between 09.01.16 – 09.05.16.
2TRIPLOVE: Subject to the restrictions set out in these terms and conditions, the 15% promotion code may be applied to a qualifying stand-alone hotel (not a hotel booking in combination with any other product such as flight + hotel, or flight + hotel + car) booked online with Orbitz.com between August 29, 2016 12:01AM CT and September 25, 2016 11:59PM CT, for 1 or more nights for travel between August 29, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Qualifying bookings instantly receive 15% off at check-out through the use of the promotion code. Limit one discount per hotel room and one promotion code per itinerary. Exclusions may apply and most major hotel chains are excluded. The promotion code cannot be redeemed against taxes, supplier fees, cancellation or change fees/penalties, administrative fees or other miscellaneous charges, which are the sole responsibility of the customer. Discounts are not redeemable for cash for any reason. Promotion codes are non-transferable, not for resale, and cannot be combined with other offers or used for any booking previously made. Any attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Orbitz reserves the right to change or limit the promotion in its sole discretion. Usual booking terms and conditions apply (see https://www.orbitz.com/p/info-other/legal.htm) and all bookings are subject to availability.
3Global games flight data based on standalone, round-trip or multi-destination flights booked on Orbitz.com originating from the US to Rio for travel between 7/25/16 – 8/21/16.
4Activity data based on bookings on Orbitz.com between 6/1/16 – 8/11/16.
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