Hotwire Reveals Top U.S. Destinations for Best Value
The 2013 Travel Value Index Study named the top 10 cities that had the best combination of low prices and discounts on air, hotel, rental cars and entertainment.
Hotwire.com released its seventh annual Hotwire Travel Value Index study examining the top destinations for the best value on March 5.
The study reveals the top 10 cities where consumers planning their next trip can find the best combination of low prices, discounts and entertainment.
Low prices on air, hotel and rental cars make up 50% of overall score; discounts on air, hotel and rental cars make up 25%; and affordable entertainment is the last 25% of the score.
The top 10 U.S. destinations for value vacations in 2013 include:
Rank/City | Overall TVI Rating | Rank Last Year | Highest Scoring Category |
Orlando, Fla. | 100 | 1 | Low prices |
Atlanta, Ga. | 100 | 2 | Discounts |
Tampa, Fla. | 94 | 6 | Low Prices |
Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. | 94 | 3 | Discounts |
Pheonix, Nev. | 92 | 5 | Entertainment |
Raleigh, N.C. | 85 | n/a | Low Prices |
Charlotte, N.C. | 83 | 8 | Discounts |
Houston, Tex. | 83 | 4 | Discounts |
St. Louis, Mo. | 82 | n/a | Discounts |
Sacramento, Calif. | 79 | n/a | Discounts |
The Hotwire Travel Value Index is based on a statistical model combining both in-house and third-party research. Hotwire evaluates the top 50 U.S. leisure markets, rating them across three individual categories to generate an overall ranking for consumer vacation value.
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