Orlando, Vegas tops for US summer travel

For the 11th year in a row, Orlando and Las Vegas remain the top two most popular summer destinations booked by ASTA travel agents, according to the 2013 Hot Spots for Summer survey. Orlando came out on top with an 18% share of responses and Las Vegas maintained the second spot with 15% of the votes. “Some things never go out of style,”said ASTA president Zane Kerby (pictured). “Family friendly destinations, such as Orlando, and a destination that offers the thrills and excitement of Las Vegas are perennial favourites among Americans looking to relax with family and friends.”Orlando and Las Vegas saw decreased market share between 2007 and 2013, while still greatly exceeding the market share of the other top 10 cities. The cities of San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles have seen increases during the same time period, a trend to watch over the long term. Florida again topped the state destinations for the 2013 summer season, accounting for 28% of all responses with cities such as Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. Nevada (15.6%) dropped out of second and was replaced by California (16.4%). New York (12%) and Hawaii (11%) rounded out the top five state destinations for summer travel. The top four international destination cities remained the same for the 10th year in a row. London received a 10% share of the vote followed by Paris with 8%, Rome with 8%, and Cancun with a 6% share of the vote. For regions and countries, Italy remained in the top location with 18% share of the votes and the UK is in second place again with a 13% share. The same five countries/regions have remained in the top five for over seven years rounded out by the Caribbean (11%), Mexico (11%) and France (11%). (http://www.ASTA.org)