Cold Weather Wanderlust

COLD- WEAT HER WANDERLUST WHERE AMERICANS ARE TRAVELING THIS WINTER SPONSORED BY THE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY ST. PAUL Every winter, millions of Americans pack up and travel to visit loved ones for the holidays, but it doesn't just end there. Lots of people also take advantage of a few extra days off to travel for pleasure. Here's a look at some of the most popular destinations for travelers this winter. HAVE TIME OFF, WILL TRAVEL Significantly more Americans are planning to travel this winter. That's according to booking data from CCRATravel.com, a hotel reservations portal for travel agents. = YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE IN WINTER +28% LEISURE U.S. HOTEL BOOKINGS (2011-2012) 1 324 5 988 Top 5 U.S. Cities for Fall and Winter Travel: (Ranked by highest number of leisure hotel bookings) DOMESTIC WINTER TRAVEL HOT SPOTS BOSTON NEW YORK So, where's everyone going? LAS VEGAS- New York tops the list of the most popular domestic cities for winter travel, based on hotel bookings. NEW ORLEANS ORLANDO For those travelers heading overseas this winter, major European cities rank highest INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS FOCUS ON EUROPE AND THE CARIBBEAN among international destinations. Top 5 International Cities for Fall and Winter Travel: (Ranked by highest number of leisure hotel bookings) 1 K LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN 2 I ROME, ITALY 3 I PARIS, FRANCE E SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO PALM BEACH, ARUBA UP-AND-COMING LOCALES Looking for something different this year? The following 5 destinations have seen the greatest increase in FOR LEISURE GETAWAYS positive feedback and traveler interest on TripAdvisor. Top U.S. Destinations on the Rise: (Based on year-over-year increase in interest and TripAdvisor feedback) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. PORTLAND, MAINE AUSTIN, MEMPHIS, COLORADO SPRINGS, DENVER, TEXAS TENNESSEE COLORADO COLORADO BEST PLACES FOR EVERYONE TO STAY Not all hotels are equal. Depending on the type of traveler or trip, different hotels may be better suited. TripAdvisor recognizes several hotels that stand out from the rest. LI| ||| BEST BARGAIN HOTEL BEST B&B/INN SEACOAST INN Hyannis, Massachusetts A.G. THOMSON HOUSE: HISTORIC BED AND BREAKFAST Duluth, Minnesota BEST HOTEL FOR FAMILIES KEY LIME COVE RESORT & WATER PARK Gurnee, Illinois BEST RELAXATION AND SPA HOTEL BEST ALL-AROUND HOTEL WALDORF ASTORIA BELLA MONTE HOT SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA CHICAGO Desert Hot Springs, California Chicago, Allinois BEST LUXURY HOTEL THE GRAND DEL MAR San Diego, California TRENDIEST HOTEL SMYTH HOTEL-A THOMPSON HOTEL New York City, New York BEST SITES FOR DEAL-HUNTERS Regardless of where travelers are heading this winter, everyone wants a good deal. Kiplinger acknowledges the following sites as the top online destinations for where to find great savings on airfare and hotels. AIRFARE LODGING Hotels, com Kayak, com HomeAway, com Bing, com/Travel Yaptaicom Pricelinei com TripAdvisor: com WhichBudgeti com BedandBreakfasticom AirfareWatchdogicom Concordia SOURCES: CCRATRAVEL.COM, KIPLINGER.COM, TRIPADVISOR.COM UNIVERSITY SAINT PAUL ONLINE