Asphalt Over Sand: Priceline.com Finds Labor Day Travelers Are More Attracted To Big Cities Than Beaches

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blame it on the recent rains, the storms, or maybe the sudden temperature dip in some parts of the U.S. Whatever the reason, big cities are out-polling the beaches in priceline.com’s (Nasdaq: PCLN) 5th annual survey of the 50 most-popular destinations for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.

To compile its list of the Top 50 Labor Day travel destinations, priceline.com looked at a sampling of more than 30,000 hotel room booking requests made by priceline.com customers for the September 1-3, 2007 period. Because the survey is based on actual booking requests, and not on consumer preference polls or votes, priceline.com believes its annual survey is one of the more accurate predictors of Labor Day travel trends.

Priceline.com also said it still has plenty of last-minute airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises available for Labor Day getaways. Visit www.priceline.com for full details.

Chicago was the big winner in the Labor Day 2007 survey, with the Millennium Park and North Michigan Avenue areas coming in #1 and #2 in popularity. New York City followed up with the next 4 spots on the list for its Upper Midtown, Midtown East, Soho and Midtown West neighborhoods. Las Vegas and San Francisco neighborhoods rounded out the top 10 spots on the list.

Beach areas weren’t totally shut out on the list. San Diego took six spots on the list, the highest total of any individual city, while other areas making the list included Waikiki, Key West, Virginia Beach, Hilton Head and San Juan. For most Americans, Labor Day is a long weekend, so almost no overseas international destinations made the list, with the exception of London.

Destinations recording the biggest gains in popularity over 2006 include Jersey City (+20 spots to #23), St. Louis (+19 spots to #12), New York’s Midtown South area (+19 spots to #30) and San Diego’s East County (+14 spots to #18).

Priceline's Top 50 Destinations for Labor Day 2007

Rank 2007      Neighborhood                    Rank 2006  Yr/Yr Change

1              Chicago, Millennium Park,              2          +1
              Loop & Grant Park Area
2              Chicago, North Michigan Ave/           4          +2
              River North Area
3              NYC, Upper Midtown/Central Park South  1          -2
4              NYC, Midtown East                      7          +3
5              NYC, Downtown/Soho/Financial District  5           0
6              NYC, Midtown West                      6           0
7              Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South        NA          NA
8              Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity              3          -5
9              San Francisco, Union Square West       12         +3
10             San Francisco, Union Square East,      11         +1
              Embarcadero
11             San Diego, Coastal Area                8          -3
12             St. Louis, Downtown                    31         +19
13             Boston, Copley Area                    15         +2
14             Seattle, Downtown                      9          -5
15             San Diego, Downtown & Harbor Island    13         -2
16             Vancouver                              14         -2
17             Boston, Downtown/Charlestown           16         -1
18             San Diego, East County                 32         +14
19             San Diego, Point Loma/Shelter Island/  21         +2
              Old Town
20             St. Catharines, Niagara Falls          19         -1
21             Montreal                               22         +1
22             San Antonio, Downtown/Riverwalk        17         -5
23             Jersey City                            43         +20
24             Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity North        NA          NA
25             Chicago, O'Hare Airport Vicinity       23         -2
26             Oahu, Waikiki Beach Area               NA          NA
27             Beverly Hills/West Hollywood           NA          NA
28             Philadelphia, Downtown                 34         +6
29             Las Vegas, Convention Center/UNLV      18         -11
30             NYC, Midtown South                     49         +19
31             Hollywood                              NA          NA
32             Orange County, Disneyland Area         26         -6
33             Austin, Downtown                       27         -6
34             Atlanta, Downtown                      NA          NA
35             San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf       NA          NA
36             Boston, Brighton/Brookline             35         -1
37             London, Mayfair/Soho                   NA          NA
38             Monterey/Pacific Grove                 36         -2
39             Oahu, Waikiki Marina Area              NA          NA
40             Virginia Beach                         30         -10
41             Markham (Ontario)                      37         -4
42             Washington, DC, White House/Downtown   33         -9
43             Toronto, Downtown                      24         -9
44             San Diego, Mission Valley              NA          NA
45             New Orleans, French Quarter            40         -5
46             San Diego, Coronado                    NA          NA
47             Orlando, Universal Studios/Sea World   38         -9
48             Key West                               NA          NA
49             Hilton Head                            47         -2
50             San Juan                               20         -30

NA - Did not appear on last year's list.