Hotwire Reveals Second Installment of the "Missed Must-Sees": U.S. Landmarks that the Majority of Americans Have Never Visited

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today announced further results from its second annual American Travel Behavior Survey, conducted online on its behalf by Harris Interactive in October 2012 among over 2,000 U.S. adults. Expanding on last year's list, the survey revealed even more well-known landmarks that a majority of Americans have never visited, including The Space Needle, Yellowstone National Park, the Gateway Arch, Hollywood Sign and Las Vegas Strip. And with the weather warming up by the minute, there's no better time for Americans take advantage of Hotwire's discounts to start crossing these sights off their wish lists at a fraction of the cost.

According to the survey results:

• 78% of U.S. adults indicate that they have never visited The Space Needle
• 73% of U.S. adults indicate that they have never visited Yellowstone
• 70% of U.S. adults indicate that they have never visited the Gateway Arch
• 69% of U.S. adults indicate that they have never visited the Hollywood Sign
• 45% of U.S. adults indicate that they have never visited Las Vegas Strip

"The overall number of Americans who haven't visited their country's most famous sights is simply staggering, but what's even more surprising is that more people have visited Las Vegas than the White House, which last year's study found to be overlooked by 57 percent of Americans," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. "We want to encourage people to take more trips because pictures and videos aren't enough to capture the scale and majesty of these iconic landmarks. And with the discounted air, hotel and car prices on Hotwire, a getaway to these famous sites can be planned on a very reasonable budget."

In addition to awesome landmarks, these overlooked destinations also offer some eye-opening travel discounts. To help illustrate, sample pricing for hotel rates, along with average car rental and airfare rates, have been included for each destination below:

The Space Needle, Seattle, Washington (78 percent of U.S. adults have never visited)

If there's one thing more famous than Seattle's coffee, it's the city's iconic Space Needle – a 605-foot tall tower that defines the skyline of Downtown Seattle. Constructed in 1962 to commemorate the Seattle World's Fair, the tower was once the largest structure west of the Mississippi River. And while it may have been knocked off the top spot by newer U.S. buildings, it's still a remarkable sight. Visitors to the Space Needle can take an elevator ride to the top, where there's a restaurant and an observation deck, both with beautiful views of Downtown Seattle and Mount Rainier.

• Average hotel price on Hotwire: $99
• Average air price on Hotwire: $410
• Average daily car rental rate on Hotwire: $29

Yellowstone National Park (73 percent of U.S. adults have never visited)

Even with its status as one of the U.S.' most famous landmarks and the first national park, almost ¾ of all Americans have yet to visit Yellowstone National Park. Spanning three states, the park takes up almost 3,500 square miles and is home to mountains, canyons, lakes, rivers and hundreds of species of animals. Visitors to Yellowstone have many options when it comes to outdoor activities in this colossal destination. After a trip to the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, which erupts about once every hour and a half, folks can kayak through the West Thumb area, or even hike through any number of the park's 1,100 miles of trails.

• Average hotel price on Hotwire: $136
• Average air price on Hotwire: $613
• Average daily car rental rate on Hotwire: $21

*Prices based on travel and stays in Jackson, Wyoming

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri (70 percent of U.S. adults have never visited)

Standing tall at 630 feet, St. Louis' Gateway Arch is truly a modern marvel, and the tallest man-made monument in the United States. Coming up on the 50^th anniversary of its completion in 1965, the arch is more than just a jaw-dropping site. As part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, this towering spectacle commemorates the westward growth of the United States, and is sure to please history buffs and everyday travelers just the same.

• Average hotel price on Hotwire: $63
• Average air price on Hotwire: $361
• Average daily car rental rate on Hotwire: $25

The Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, California (69 percent of U.S. adults have never visited)

If Los Angeles has any one iconic landmark, it's the world-famous Hollywood Sign. Featured in countless films and TV shows, the 45-foot tall letters should look and feel familiar to visitors from all over the world. But folks don't have to look at the sign from afar; with just a 40-minute hike up the Hollyridge Trail, visitors can get up close and personal with the landmark and enjoy a breathtaking view of metro Los Angeles at the same time.

• Average hotel price on Hotwire: $98
• Average air price on Hotwire: $383
• Average daily car rental rate from San Antonio on Hotwire: $28

Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada (45 percent of U.S. adults have never visited)

With a nickname like "Sin City," it might be a little surprising that Las Vegas is the survey's least-ignored landmark to date. But it's even more surprising the think that this larger-than-life Nevada mecca still has yet to be experienced by 45 percent of Americans.  A constant influx of new hotels like the luxurious Cosmopolitan and vivacious nightclubs like the Hakkasan are making this desert getaway even more attractive to visitors beyond just the usual crowd from nearby southern California.

• Average hotel price on Hotwire: $91
• Average air price on Hotwire: $378
• Average daily car rental rate on Hotwire: $28

** All average hotel, air and car prices are based on bookings made on Hotwire 4/1-5/8 for travel 5/1-6/30. Prices are dynamic and vary based on date of booking, length of stay, departure city and star rating. There is no guarantee that these prices will be in effect at the time of your search. Prices do not include taxes and fees.

Survey Methodology

Harris Interactive^® fielded the study on behalf of Hotwire from October 23-25, 2012 among 2,096 U.S. adults ages 18 and older via its QuickQuery^SM online omnibus service. The 2011 study was conducted from July 27-29, 2011 among 2,127 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This data was weighted to reflect the composition of the general adult population. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For the full survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected]

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, Inc. obtains deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.  Hotwire.com is an award winning website and Hotwire, Inc. is an operating company within Expedia, Inc. CST # 2029030-50.  NST: 20003-0209.  For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire.com operates sites in 13 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, www.hotwire.com/dk, www.hotwire.com/de, www.hotwire.com/hk, www.hotwire.com/mx and www.hotwire.com/sg. In addition to Hotwire, The Hotwire Group of websites includes: www.hotwire.com and www.carrentals.com.

Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo 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. © 2013 Hotwire, Inc.  All rights reserved. CST # 2053390-50.

Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
(323) 648-5425
[email protected]

SOURCE Hotwire.com