Vacation Travel Trends for Arizona’s Top Leisure Destinations by Lodging Directory Rentalo.com

Miami, FL (Vocus) March 4, 2010 -- Rentalo.com, a leading lodging and vacation rental directory that facilitates comparison shopping for trip planners in the US and abroad, is publishing a series of trend analysis studies based on inquiries submitted by its database of opted-in travelers to its broad inventory of vacation properties in close to 15,000 destinations worldwide. In this release, the lodging directory reveals the study findings for 12,601 opted-in travelers who searched for vacation rentals in Arizona (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/arizona/)’s top destinations from July 2008 to January 2010. This study confirms traveler’s increasing demand for hotels versus vacation rentals comparison shopping. Additionally, the lodging website shares some interesting stats on vacation planning and vacation themes for these popular vacation destinations in the state of Arizona.

Vacation Travel Trends for Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale Comparison Shopping Trends: According to the study, 55 percent of the vacation planners who inquired for a place to stay showed interest in comparison shopping among Scottsdale vacation rentals (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/scottsdale/), bed breakfasts, and hotels. 43 percent also accepted offers from properties in Scottsdale’s vicinity which includes Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Fountain Hills, Phoenix, Glendale, Ahwatukee, Carefree, Gilbert, Peoria, Chandler, and Cave Creek.

Scottsdale Vacation Planning Trends: 42 percent of the travelers were early planners who started their vacation planning 2 or more months in advance from the travel dates, 28 percent of the inquiries were from travelers who inquired 1 to 2 months in advance, and 28 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to the arriving to their Scottsdale lodging (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/scottsdale/).

Scottsdale Vacation Themes: Based on the numbers, Scottsdale’s most popular theme is romance with 41 percent of the inquiries requesting accommodations for 2, 25 percent for groups of more than 4 adults, 24 percent for families with children, and 11 percent for people traveling alone.

Vacation Travel Trends for Tucson, Arizona

Tucson Comparison Shopping Trends: According to the study, 56 percent of the trip planners showed interest in comparison shopping among Tucson vacation rentals (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/tucson/), bed and breakfasts, and hotels. 72 percent showed interest in staying in the vicinity of Catskills which includes Catalina, Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley, and Mount Lemmon.

Tucson Vacation Planning Trends: 54 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to the arrival date, while 18 percent of the inquiries were sent 1 to 2 months in advance, and only 24 percent were early planners who started their vacation planning 2 or more months in advance from the travel date.

Tucson Vacation Themes: The most popular vacation theme for Tucson is romance with 51 percent of the traveler’s inquiries requesting accommodations for 2, 18 percent for groups of more than 4 adults, 15 percent for families with children, and 11 percent for people traveling alone.

Vacation Travel Trends for Lake Havasu, Arizona

Lake Havasu Comparison Shopping Trends: According to stats collected, 67 percent of the vacation planners showed interest in comparison shopping among Lake Havasu vacation rentals (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/lakehavasu/), bed and breakfasts, hotels, and resorts. 44 percent showed interest in comparing quotes for lodging in Lake Havasu area including Parker Dam and Topock.

Lake Havasu Vacation planning Trends: Stats show that vacation planning is dominated by early planners with 42 percent of the inquiries coming from those who started their vacation planning 2 or more months in advance from the travel date, 20 percent of the inquiries were sent 1 to 2 months in advance, and 37 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to their arrival date.

Lake Havasu Vacation Theme Trends: The most popular vacation themes for Lake Havasu area is romance with 41 percent of the inquiries requesting lodging for 2, 40 percent for groups of more than 4 adults, 26 percent for families with children, and 3 percent for people traveling alone.

Vacation Travel Trends for Sedona, Arizona

Sedona Comparison Shopping Trends: 64 percent of the travelers who searched for short term accommodations showed interest in comparison shopping among Sedona vacation rentals (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/sedona/), bed breakfasts, and hotels. 58 percent showed interest in lodging quotes from nearby destination Mormon Lake.

Sedona Vacation planning Trends: 43 percent of the travelers were early planners who started their vacation planning 2 or more months in advance from the travel dates, 17 percent of the inquiries were from travelers who inquired 1 to 2 months in advance, and 39 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to the arrival date.

Sedona Vacation Theme Trends: Sedona’s most popular vacation theme is family reunions with 36 percent of the traveler’s inquiries requesting accommodations for groups of more than 4 adults, 28 percent for families with children, 32 percent for couples, and 11 percent for people traveling alone.

Vacation Travel Trends for Phoenix, Arizona:

Phoenix Comparison Shopping Trends: 51 percent of the trip planners showed interest in comparison shopping among Phoenix vacation rentals (http://rentalo.com/vacation-rentals/phoenix/), bed and breakfasts, and hotels. 17 percent showed interest in comparison lodging quotes from nearby destinations such as Tempe, Glendale, Paradise Valley, Ahwatukee, Tolleson, Scottsdale, Peoria, Mesa, Goodyear, Chandler, and Litchfield Park.

Phoenix Vacation Planning Trends: 41 percent are early planners who started their vacation planning for 2 or more months in advance from the travel date, while 28 percent of the inquiries were sent 1 to 2 months in advance, and 27 percent were from last minute travelers inquiring within the last 30 days prior to the arrival date.

Phoenix Vacation Themes: Phoenix’s most popular vacation theme is romance with 48 percent of the traveler’s inquiries requesting accommodations for 2, 21 percent for families with children, 19 percent for groups of more than 4 adults, and 10 percent for people traveling alone (mostly business travelers).

“Consumers prefer travel sites that facilitate comparison shopping.” says Gabriel Amorocho, Marketing Manager for Rentalo.com. “At Rentalo.com, travelers can quickly and easily compare value offers from vacation rentals, hotels, and bed and breakfasts that meet their specific needs.”

Travel editors, experts, and other media publications interested in similar data pertaining to other vacation destinations, or additional consumer data statistics and facts such as budget, amenities, length of stays, peak seasons, and inventory data should contact Rentalo directly.

About Rentalo.com:

Rentalo.com is a leading online travel lodging and vacation rental website. Its broad inventory of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and hotels (http://rentalo.com/) is available online and via RSS feeds, affiliate distribution partners, as well as thousands of journalists and editors through e-mail, press releases, and travel publications. Through selected partnerships, Rentalo's inventory is available to an online audience of more than 100 million travelers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit http://rentalo.com or call 1(305) 558-5577.

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