AAA TRAVEL AGENTS REPORT NEW VACATION TRENDS
Many are changing their plans, but they are still traveling.
NEWS from AAA Oklahoma, July 17 – Two new surveys of AAA travel agency and auto travel managers across the nation reveal that rising fuel prices are affecting Americans’ travel plans this summer.
Based on their one-on-one interactions with AAA members, 95 percent of AAA auto travel managers say that high gas prices are causing travelers to alter their summer vacation itineraries. AAA auto travel managers say travelers are taking trips closer to home, taking fewer trips, and reducing the number of vacation days traveled as ways of compensating for record high fuel expenses.
When asked about destinations that most frequently provide the most attractive bargains or best values for summer travel, AAA travel agency managers identified the following: Las Vegas; Orlando/Walt Disney World, Fla.; Branson, Missouri; Anaheim/Disneyland; and San Francisco. International destinations identified as best for bargains and value are: the Caribbean; European Cruises; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; South America; and Costa Rica.
When comparing AAA’s 2007 and 2008 summer travel surveys, AAA travel agency managers identified the following locations as this summer’s top five domestic and international vacation destinations:
Domestic by air:
(Excluding Canada & Mexico)
2008 |
2007 |
1. Orlando |
1. Orlando |
2. Las Vegas |
2. Las Vegas |
3. New York |
3. Seattle |
4. Los Angeles |
4. New York |
5. Washington, D.C. |
5. Los Angeles/
Orange County |
International by air:
2008 |
2007 |
1. Rome |
1. Rome |
2. London |
2. London |
3. Cancun |
3. Vancouver |
4. Dublin |
4. Cancun |
5. Vancouver |
5. Paris |
In addition, domestic “hot spots” this summer include: Santa Fe, New Mexico; San Antonio, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oregon; and Miami/South Beach. International “hot spots” include: Croatia; Montenegro; Vietnam; Cinque Terra, Italy; and Douro River, Portugal.
AAA is the largest full service, leisure travel agency in North America. Travelers can access full-service travel planning at 1,100 AAA retail offices nationwide (12 across Oklahoma) and online at www.AAA.com. In addition, AAA is the premier provider of travel information and trip planning tools including print and online versions of maps, TourBook® travel guides, TripTik® customized trip routings, and low member pricing on reservations at AAA Diamond Rated hotels.
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members (326,000 in Oklahoma) with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA Oklahoma can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.
|
