New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago and Los Angeles topped the list of most popular travel destinations in 2011, according to booking data and online searches reviewed by the travel website Orbitz.
But what was surprising about the top 10 list was the absence of coastal vacation spots such as San Diego, Honolulu and Miami. All three beach destinations, as well as New Orleans, made the top 10 list in 2010 but were bumped off in 2011 by Boston, Los Angeles, Denver and Atlanta.
Orbitz analyzed search inquiries and found that the most popular perks among travelers booking hotel rooms in 2011 were convenient transportation, pools and extras such as spa services, fitness centers and wireless Internet.
For the third consecutive year, Christmas week (Dec. 19 to Dec. 25) was the busiest travel week of the year, followed by the week leading up to the Fourth of July holiday and Thanksgiving week (Nov. 21 to Nov. 27).
And based on booking data, Orbitz predicts the hot travel destinations for 2012 will be London, which will host the summer Olympics; Austin, Texas, which will host the U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix in November; and Chicago, which will host the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in April followed by the G8 Summit in May.
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