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Switchfly 2014 Summer Travel Index: Las Vegas Ranks #1 Among Top 25 Global DestinationsSAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Switchfly, Inc., the technology company powering travel booking and loyalty redemption solutions for the world's most celebrated brands, today announced its annual Global Summer Travel Index that revealed Las Vegas, USA is the #1 most booked destination during summer months. Orlando, USA ranked second, followed by Cancun, Mexico, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Fort Lauderdale, USA. The travel destination that saw the biggest leap in popularity this year was Porto Seguro, Brazil-home of this summer's FIFA World Cup-which jumped up twenty-one places since last year into the top ten list. Switchfly's research also discovered that average summer vacation length increased to 6 days this year, with Tahiti, French Polynesia leading as the top travel destination according to length of stay. "We're delighted to share our bird's eye view of where people are headed this summer-this year's lists show a very fun mix of travel destinations around the world," said Daniel Farrar, Chief Executive Officer at Switchfly. "Naturally, every year is different and summer 2014 is seeing a trend of travel booking popularity to destinations like Las Vegas and Cancun that are known for their nightlife, pool-side and beach scenery. Meanwhile, the travelers looking for longer stays are heading to more aspirational locations like Paris and New York, places that are brimming with internationally famous attractions they want to experience in their lifetime." See below chart for the top 25 summer travel destinations in terms of booking volume (left) and length of stay (right):
Global Summer Booking Index Summary After a short fall to #2 in 2013, Switchfly revealed that Las Vegas, Nevada, USA is back as the #1 most booked summer travel destination in 2014. The US state of Florida, is another popular destination with Orlando, the home of Walt Disney (News - Alert) World Resort, and Fort Lauderdale both ranking in the top five summer destinations at #2 and #5, respectively. American destinations dominate short summer vacations due to the convergence of accessibility with business and leisure travel. A summer trend this year is the resurgence of The Caribbean as a popular destination spot. The Dominican Republic (#4), Puerto Rico (#6), Aruba (#7), Jamaica (#16) and the Cayman Islands (#17) all rose in booking volume from previous years. Fa'a'a, French Polynesia, Tahiti, which is #1 in terms of length of stay, still makes the booking index at #18. Global Summer Getaways Index Summary Switchfly's Global Summer Booking Index revealed that the average summer vacation length increased in 2014 to an average of 6 days, up from 4.5 in 2013 and 5 days in 2012. For the third year in a row, Fa'a'a, French Polynesia, Tahiti ranks as the #1 getaway destination for longer vacations with an average stay of almost two weeks (12.4 days). European capitals fill out the next three spots with London, England at #2 (11.4 days); Paris, France at #2 (10.9 days); and Dublin, Ireland at #5 (10.2 days). Rounding out the top 5 travel destinations in length of stay is Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The FIFA World Cup Factor Brazil saw the most dynamic shift in travelers this summer, due in part to soccer fans rooting for their home teams in this year's FIFA World Cup. World cup game host Porto Seguro jumped into the top 10 most booked travel destinations this summer at #9, an increase of 21 spots since 2013 and 40 spots since 2012. Porto Seguro also ranked in the top 25 vacations booked in terms of length of stay, joined by four more Brazil cities. On average, vacationers are spending 6.7 days in Parnamirim (#12), 6.6 days in Porto Seguro (#15) and Maceió (#16), and 6.3 days in Recife (#19). "We're big World Cup fans here at Switchfly," says Daniel Farrar. "We're excited to see the event has such a distinct resonance in global summer travel trends, and that Brazil as the #1 summer travel destination with the most growth in 2014, with four of its cities in the top 25 this year." To view the entire Switchfly Summer Travel Index and its research methodology please visit www.switchfly.com/summertravelindex. ABOUT SWITCHFLY Switchfly, Inc. is a global technology company that powers travel booking and loyalty redemption solutions for some of the world's most recognizable brands across travel, loyalty, financial services and ecommerce. World-class products delivered via a flexible software-as-a-service platform let clients easily launch and maintain a complete online travel and loyalty experience superior to any online travel agency. Tailored to their customer needs while maintaining a full brand match, Switchfly solutions drive customer engagement, enhance brand loyalty and increase revenue. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, the Company generates more than $1 billion in revenue for its clients annually and has facilitated the redemption of more than 100 billion reward points and miles. The company's global client roster includes American Airlines, Emirates, JetBlue and LAN Airlines; IAG Avios, Lufthansa Miles & More and United MileagePlus; InterContinental Hotels Group and Starwood Hotels; Expedia (News - Alert), Orbitz, Priceline and Groupon. For more information, visit http://www.switchfly.com.
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