Orlando, Las Vegas Remain Favorites for U.S. Summer Travel

For the eighth year in a row, Orlando and Las Vegas remain the most popular summer destinations booked by ASTA travel consultants, according to ASTA’s 2010 Hot Spots for Summer survey. Orlando came out on top with a 17.7 percent share of responses, and Las Vegas maintained the second spot with 16.2 percent of the votes. Overseas, the top four international destination cities remained the same for the eighth year in a row as well, with top-ranked London receiving an 8.5-percent share of the vote followed by Rome (8%), Paris (7.6%), Cancun (6.7%) and Punta Cana (2.8%), with its second year in the top five.

“Although the top destinations have remained relatively unchanged for many years, it’s interesting to see some fresh destinations, both domestic and international, appear on the scene,” said Chris Russo, ASTA president and chair. “Regardless of whether a destination is a perennial favorite or a soon-to-be favorite, working with a professional travel consultant to plan your next vacation ensures you will get a great value and an unforgettable experience.”

Rounding out the top 10 after Orlando and Las Vegas were San Francisco (4.9%), Miami (3.7%), Los Angeles (3.3%), New York City (2.8%), San Diego (2.6%), Honolulu (2.0%), Seattle 1.9%) and Washington, DC (1.8%). Several changes occurred this year, most notably Seattle’s return to the top 10, displacing Chicago for ninth place. The other major change was New York City moving up three places to sixth compared to 2009 and pushing Honolulu down to eighth place.

Florida again tops the state destinations for the 2010 summer season, accounting for 24.5 percent of all responses with cities such as Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. Nevada drew the second largest number of responses a 16.3-percent share with almost all the travel for Las Vegas. California (15.6%), New York (12.9%) and Hawaii (8.9%) rounded out the top five state destinations for summer travel.

When it comes to Americans heading abroad, Western Europe again dominated summer travel choices, taking five places. While the five destinations haven’t changed since 2009, those rounding out the top 10 have: Hong Kong (.8%) made its first appearance in the top 10 and the Riviera Maya (2%) made an appearance at sixth place.

When examined in broader terms, Mexican destinations represented another major grouping in the international top 10 list. Taking into account both regions and countries, Mexico replaced Italy as the top location with a 15-percent share of the votes, while the United Kingdom again took second place with a 10.5-percent share. France (9.7%), Italy (9.4%) and the Caribbean (8%) completed the top five country/region list. The top five country/region listing has remained unchanged for more than five years.

Survey data was collected through the 2010 ASTA Research Family, a representative sample of ASTA member travel agency owners and managers. The Research Family reflects ASTA members in key agency demographics including sales volume, leisure/business mix, number of part-time and full-time employees and geographic location. This survey has a 95-percent confidence with an error rate +/- 4%.

The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest and do business.