Travelers drove robust increases in accommodation bookings within the hostel and budget hotel categories across the United States, according to new data from Hostelworld.com.
Third quarter, year-on-year booking trends fromHostelworld.com, the leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market, reveal significant growth across a variety of cities, from major U.S. metropolises to emerging destinations.
Among the larger urban areas in the U.S., Atlanta led the way with a 70 percent increase. The top five fastest growing big city destinations for travelers in 2010 include:
* Atlanta - 70 percent increase
* Washington D.C. - 41 percent increase
* New Orleans - 40 percent increase
* Denver - 29 percent increase
* Orlando - 26 percent increase
A number of emerging destinations reflect the diversity of travelers' choices during 2010; the top five include:
* Buffalo, N.Y.
* South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
* Hilo, Hawaii
* Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
* Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
"People are traveling again, but are keeping their budgets in check while still seeking unique travel experiences. As a result, Hostelworld is seeing new and traditional regions within the U.S. as growth areas for travelers who desire adventurous or experiential travel," said Aisling White, Hostelworld.com. "The growth is powered by several factors: a fantastic range of new hostels are opening in the U.S., travelers are choosing to explore destinations closer to home, and the quality and diversity of hostels continues to improve in the United States as hostels increasingly become a viable alternative to hotels and motels for travelers."
The average booking increase into Hostelworld's fastest growing 40 destinations was an impressive 58 percent. In terms of regional growth areas, Californian cities had seven different destinations among the top 40 accommodation choices, while Hawaii and Florida each had three cities. All data is compiled from Hostelworld.com bookings, Q3 2009 to Q3 2010.
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