NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 7, 2005–Site59, the leader in
last-minute travel getaways, polled customers on their travel
intentions for the Summer 2005 season. Thousands of responses were
compiled from people who traveled between December 13, 2004 and March
5, 2005, revealing trends in booking behavior, favorite summertime
destinations and general vacation policies.
Site59 found that 89% of surveyed customers are planning to take a
leisure vacation this summer, with 38% of them planning more than
three trips. The overwhelming majority, 95%, has not booked any travel
yet, with half indicating that they will likely book within one month
of departure. When asked what will influence their decision, the most
popular response was that customers are “waiting to be inspired,”
which even outranked “waiting for the best deal.”
This summer, travel trends include renewed interest in travel
abroad with 19% of customers looking to collect a new stamp on their
passport. Thirty-eight percent will travel to the beach, while 17% are
planning to head to the mountains, and 14% will visit big cities this
summer. Finally, 12% of customers indicate they never go to the same
place twice.
In addition, people are being given more time off from work, with
73% of customers receiving more than three weeks paid vacation time
each year. Interestingly, 40% report unused vacation time, with the
majority, 21%, carrying seven or more days over from the previous
year. Twenty-eight percent indicated that they thought it would be
difficult to take time off at all this summer.
“Companies are giving their employees more vacation days, and yet
there is a good deal of unused vacation being left on the table each
year. For these dedicated workers, Site59’s Last-Minute Getaways are
the perfect antidote, because people can re-charge their batteries
over a weekend, without taking time off from work,” said Robert
Albert, General Manager of Site59. “Or they can travel on a longer
Getaway and really de-stress in a place that’s new and interesting.”
Further survey findings are available upon request.
Providing unrivaled choice and flexibility for travelers who know
when and where they want to go–and those who don’t, Site59 offers
deeply-discounted Last-Minute Getaways from 14 days up to three hours
before departure to hundreds of domestic and international
destinations, from more than 150 North American cities. Search by
destination and date, and in addition to your choice, you’ll see
similar recommendations so you can compare prices all on one page. Or,
choose a category like Sun & Beach, and find a destination that fits
your budget.
With real-time inventory from 3300 hotels, airlines, car rentals,
and specialty providers worldwide, Site59 Last-Minute Getaways combine
Flight + Hotel (with optional car), Flight + Car, and Hotel + Car, and
include optional extras and editor-recommended restaurants and
sights–perfect for summer travelers.
About SITE59(R)
Named for the 59th, or last minute, SITE59(R) is a recognized
leader in technology and creative content for last-minute online
travel and is owned by Travelocity(R), a Sabre Holdings (NYSE:TSG)
company. Beyond accolades and best of web awards from Forbes, CNN, The
Wall St. Journal, The NBC Today Show, Readers Digest, PC Magazine, USA
Today, The Washington Post, and many more, Site59 is credited with
developing the industry’s premier real-time packaging technology.
Site59 has a patent-pending system that automates and assembles
inventory in real-time from over 3300 industry suppliers–including
major airlines, hotel companies, car rental companies, and hundreds of
specialty providers worldwide. Additional information and offerings
can be viewed at www.Site59.com.
CONTACT: PJ Inc.
Pamela Johnston, 212-629-8445
Pamela@pjinc.net
SOURCE: Site59