Hotwire Reveals July 2012 Travel Savings Indicator

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today released the July 2012 Hotwire® Travel Savings Indicator, which features the top five cities in North America where hotel, air and car rental rates have dropped the most as compared to the same time last year. Using extensive pricing research to cover the three most popular travel products, the report helps guide travelers to the best destinations for maximizing their travel dollars each month.

"The onset of summer means that prices are at their peak in many destinations, but that doesn't mean that deals on hotel, air and car rentals are impossible to find in some great cities. Vancouver in particular is a fantastic deal right now and it's beautiful in the summer," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. "Many of this month's destinations are well placed throughout North America and offer activities to enjoy the sun and warm weather.  It's not too late to experience a low-priced mid-summer getaway."

Hotel Price Drops
For the first time this year, Vancouver makes the list with a big 11 percent drop. The main reason this beautiful Canadian destination is the number one hotel deal market is that this time last year the city was home to several events drawing in many visitors. However, this year, they are not seeing that same level of demand materialize and as a result have cut prices to attract more travelers. We expect this trend to continue throughout summer.

Chattanooga, Tenn., and newcomer Green Bay, Wis., are both seeing eight percent drops. Folks traveling south can board a riverboat cruise down the Tennessee River or soak in the mountain vistas surrounding Chattanooga, while in the Midwest, they can stroll through historic De Pere or hit the rides at Green Bay's Bay Beach Amusement Park.

Rounding out the top five hotel deal markets are Tucson, AZ and Cocoa Beach, FL with six and five percent price drops, respectively. With a slow start this year and the heat now at its peak, Tucson hotels are decreasing rates. Meanwhile anyone looking for a little oceanside R&R will see great rates in Cocoa Beach, which is a less crowded and lower-priced Florida beach option.

When compared to this time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for July 2012 include:

Air Price Drops
Vancouver moves from third in last month's air price drop list to first place in July, matching its hotel rate ranking with an 11 percent drop. The west is also best when looking for great domestic deals on airfare as well. Both Eugene, Ore., and Long Beach, Calif., dropped prices by 10 percent this month. Home to the University of Oregon, Eugene is known for its focus on the arts and outdoor recreation in and around its two major rivers. Long Beach, on the other hand, is a gateway to southern California's beaches and home to an award-winning aquarium, plus shops, restaurants and a nightlife all its own. Finally, Billings, Mont., and Atlanta, Ga., round out the top five largest airfare decreases with 9 and 8 percent drops, respectively.

When compared to this time last year, the top five airfare price reductions for July 2012 include:

Car Price Drops
Car rental rates remain down across the country, but this month's list outlines some particularly steep drops and includes several new cities. Topping the list with a 44 percent drop is Cincinnati, Ohio, home of Over-the-Rhine, a historic center for German immigrants and one of the largest such districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Number two ranked Burlington, Vt., and number three ranked Billings, Mont. (also on the airfare list), have 43 percent and 41 percent price decreases, respectively. Both cities are gateways to some of the best scenic outdoor activities in the country: Burlington, through New England, and Billings, through Yellowstone.  Returning to the list this month is Arlington, Va., with a 34 percent drop, while newcomer Scottsdale, Ariz. enters at number five with a 31 percent decrease.

When compared to this time last year, the top five car rental price reductions for July 2012 include:

For over 10 years, Hotwire has worked with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to fill unsold inventory. As a result, Hotwire offers travelers amazing deals, every day of the year, across a variety of markets. Through Hotwire's deep understanding of the industry and unique relationships, consumers have been able to save millions of dollars on all their travel needs.

About the Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator
The Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator runs results during the second week of each month. Results are calculated by looking at Hotwire booking data for select regions in the current month, and comparing prices in the current month against Hotwire prices in the same month in the prior year. Prices are compared within the same categories (e.g., star rating, class of car) for consistency, and the percent change in price for each region is generated as an overall average of the changes in those categories. The hotel prices in the charts above are examples for a particular Hot Rate® deal within that market. The airfare and car rental prices are average prices based on bookings across all car and seat classes. Actual prices may be higher or lower than the examples that are provided.

About Hotwire
Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages.  Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.  Hotwire is an award-winning website and operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2053390-50.  NST: 20003-0209.  For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire sites operates in 8 countries worldwide: www.hotwire.com, www.hotwire.com/uk, www.hotwire.com/ie, www.hotwire.com/au, www.hotwire.com/nz, www.hotwire.com/se, www.hotwire.com/no and www.hotwire.com/dk. In addition to Hotwire, The Hotwire Group of websites includes: www.hotwire.com, www.travel-ticker.com, www.carrentals.com.  

Hotwire, Hotwire.com, the Hotwire logo and Hot Rate are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Hotwire, Inc.  All rights reserved. CST# 2053390-40.

Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
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SOURCE Hotwire.com