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Relax: A bay area vacation is No. 5 value
Hotwire.com ranks the best destinations for your dollar. Denver is No. 1, but the Web site also loves our beaches.
By STEVE HUETTEL
Published January 18, 2006
Tourists love us for our beaches, our warm weather and typically laid-back attitudes. Now we know another reason for their infatuation: We're a cheap date.
The greater Tampa Bay area ranked No. 5 in a new study to determine the top vacation destination values by Hotwire.com, the discount travel Web site.
"For people who want to do a sun getaway with miles of beaches . . . it's a beautiful area that's affordable and we know our customers will love," said Barbara Messing, vice president of customer experience for Hotwire.
Denver was rated No. 1.
The company dug out a year's worth of average daily rates for hotels, airline tickets and rental cars in the 50 U.S. markets most visited by domestic travelers. Statisticians then built a model that ranked markets based on published rates, discounts, low-price entertainment and outdoor activities.
Local tourism officials appreciated the plug.
"This reaffirms what we've said all along that the Tampa Bay area is a great destination and at a wonderful price," said Karen Brand, spokeswoman for the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau in Tampa.
That's especially important for Tampa's convention business, she said, because so many attendees pay their own way and decide whether to go based on price.
Pinellas County has recently been touting the increasing affluence of its visitors. The median household income last year was $103,913, an increase of nearly 13 percent over 2004. The average daily room rate for peak winter season was $94.73 in 2005, up 7.8 percent from a year earlier.
"I think there are still a lot of affordable lodging options in all three markets," said Carole Ketterhagen, executive director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The area scored highest on hotel, air travel and rental car rates - the category that counted for 55 percent of each market's score, Messing said.
Cheap air fares undoubtedly played a part. With lots of discount airline competition, Tampa International Airport regularly ranks among airports with the lowest average fares in the nation.
Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.
HOTWIRE'S TOP 10
Top vacation values, as rated by Hotwire.com:
1. Denver
2. Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
3. Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
4. Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota
6. Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M.
7. Orlando-Daytona Beach
8. Reno, Nev.
9. Dallas-Fort Worth
10. Los Angeles
More more information, visit www.hotwire.com/destination/travel-value-index.jsp
[Last modified January 18, 2006, 01:10:21]
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