Yahoo Finance Map: Millennials' favorite U.S. travel destinations
Move over, Los Angeles, because millennials aren’t interested anymore. According to Priceline, these are the 15 most popular destinations among millennials.
Priceline defined millennials at those between the ages of 22 and 36. The company calculated the data by analyzing cities based on where top air and hotel bookings overlapped for those in that age range.
The top destination was Las Vegas, with the average daily rate of a hotel at $117. Close behind were Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, St. Louis, Charlotte, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
Also among the top 15 spots were Boston; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City; and Baltimore. The cities span all across the continental U.S., but Kevin O’Leary, a senior analyst at Priceline, wasn’t surprised by that fact, labeling many of these places as “unique” to millennials.
“These are cities with a vibrant nightlife and a good mix of experiences to enjoy,” O’Leary said.
He attributes the fact that Orlando is the second-most popular destination to the “number of older millennials” who are newly married with young children. That would make those individuals the ideal people to visit places like Disney World and Universal Studios in that city.
‘The option to explore the world around you is always available’
O’Leary also pointed out that millennials have more reach than ever before, in terms of technology.
“Most people today book travel via their mobile device, versus desktop,” he said. “This is true in particular of millennials, who grew up alongside mobile devices. Since you can book a trip on your phone, through an app, anywhere, at any time, the option to explore the world around you is always available.”
Travel apps like Priceline, Skyscanner, Expedia, and Hopper allow users to book flights and other aspects of their trip all in one place, an ideal scenario for millennials who prefer everything to be in one place in order to speed things along.
“If you can book a trip instantly, at a price you like, you’re going to travel more and more widely,” he said. “Millennials are exploring the country more because they have the tools to do so, in a way that past generations did not.”
O’Leary anticipates the list shifting over time, but cities like New York and Chicago remaining popular. New cities, however, will enter the most popular destinations for different reasons, he said.
“Detroit is one example,” he explained. “The city has gone through a renaissance, and is thriving now as a travel destination in a way it was not a few years prior.”
Budget airlines have also made millennials’ travel desires into realities. Portland, Oregon, is a popular destination with Virgin America. Spirit Airlines serves Chicago, Orlando, and Las Vegas. Frontier Airlines offers flights to many of these popular cities as well.
As for travel trends in the foreseeable future, only one thing stands out in particular to O’Leary.
“Mobile booking is the prevailing trend in travel,” he said. “We are seeing that ‘traditional’ trips — a flight, single hotel, few days in a destination, then a flight home — is becoming a thing of the past.
“Millennials can book a flight out on one carrier and fly home on another. They can choose to stay in a hotel, a private apartment, or a yurt on the beach. And all of this is bookable on your phone. There are so many more options available, and we’re seeing that travelers today are taking more inventive, exploratory trips.”
Adriana is an editor for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
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