Internet travel service priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) today released the results of its 5th annual survey of the 50 most-popular destinations for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28).
The survey is based on more than 30,000 hotel room booking requests made by priceline.com customers for the weekend. Because the survey is based on actual booking activity, and not on consumer preference polls or votes, Priceline.com believes the annual survey is one of the more accurate predictors of Memorial Day travel trends.
Priceline.com also said it still has hotel rooms, airline tickets, vacation packages, rental cars and cruises available for the big weekend, often at significant discounts over other online travel reservation services.
Rainy and cool weather for extended stretches in May appeared to play a role in destination selection this year, as many travelers passed up beach destinations in favor of getaways to the nation's major cities. Chicago was a big favorite this Memorial Day, with the Windy City's Millennium Park neighborhood coming in as the #1 favorite destination and North Michigan Avenue coming in at #4. New York City took four spots among the top 10 destinations, while Jersey City was popular among visitors who wanted to see Manhattan without paying Big Apple hotel rates. As usual, a long weekend in Las Vegas was very popular, with the Strip coming in at #2.
Most Memorial Day travelers elected to stay in the U.S., possibly due to currency exchange rates (on May 21, one dollar was equal to roughly half a British pound) and the typically short duration of Memorial Day getaways. London was the only European city to crack the top 50 list. Canadian destinations making the list included Montreal, Vancouver and St. Catharines.
One surprise on this year's list was the emergence of Charleston, SC, as a Memorial Day 2007 favorite. For the first time, the city's downtown area made the list at #50 and its Mount Pleasant/Isle of Palms area was #49.
The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorial Day 2006
#1 CHICAGO, Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park Area
#2 LAS VEGAS, Strip Vicinity
#3 NEW YORK, Upper Midtown/Central Park South
#4 CHICAGO, North Michigan Ave./River North Area
#5 NEW YORK, Downtown/Soho/Financial District
#6 NEW YORK, Midtown West
#7 NEW YORK, Midtown East
#8 SAN DIEGO, Coastal Area
#9 LAS VEGAS, Convention Center/UNLV Area
#10 SAN FRANCISCO, Union Square West
#11 VANCOUVER
#12 WASHINGTON, DC, White House/Downtown Area
#13 SAN FRANCISCO, Union Square East/Embarcadero
#14 PHILADELPHIA, Downtown
#15 SAN DIEGO, Downtown/Harbor Island
#16 OAHU, Waikiki Marina Area
#17 SAN ANTONIO, Downtown/Riverwalk
#18 MIAMI, Miami Beach
#19 SAN DIEGO, Point Loma/Shelter Island/Old Town
#20 BOSTON, Downtown/Charlestown
#21 BALTIMORE, Inner Harbor Area/Downtown
#22 MONTREAL
#23 OAHU, Waikiki Beach Area
#24 ORANGE COUNTY, Disneyland Area
#25 BOSTON, Copley Area
#26 MIAMI, South Beach
#27 ORLANDO, Universal Studios/Sea World
#28 LOS ANGELES, Hollywood
#29 PUERTO RICO, San Juan
#30 ORLANDO, Disney World Vicinity
#31 LAS VEGAS, West of Strip
#32 AUSTIN, Downtown
#33 JERSEY CITY
#34 PALM SPRINGS, Rancho Mirage/Indian Wells/Palm Desert
#35 ST. CATHARINES, Niagara Falls
#36 ORANGE COUNTY, Costa Mesa/Irvine
#37 SEATTLE, Downtown
#38 LOS ANGELES, Beverly Hills/West Hollywood
#39 KEY WEST
#40 LONDON, Mayfair/Soho
#41 SAN DIEGO, East County
#42 SAN ANTONIO, Medical Center Area
#43 LOS ANGELES, Airport Area
#44 ST. LOUIS, Downtown
#45 WASHINGTON, DC, Alexandria/Old Town Area
#46 SAN FRANCISCO, Fisherman's Wharf
#47 BUFFALO, Buffalo/Amherst
#48 ST. PETERSBURG, St. Pete Beach/Treasure Island
#49 CHARLESTON, Mount Pleasant/Isle of Palms
#50 CHARLESTON, Downtown
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