New Survey: Millennials Love Quickies

Consumers crave quick, bite-sized experiences to keep up with their fast-paced lifestyles, and travel is no exception. Nearly all Americans (90%) prefer short getaways of three nights or less vs. a longer vacation, with Millennials in particular fueling the dramatic rise of the quick getaway trend, according to a new survey by online travel site Hotwire.

Hotwire found it’s not just short trip durations that are trending with the younger set. Survey results show Millennials have no problem waiting until the last minute to book their travels, embracing both short booking windows and short trips with spontaneous, 2-3 night “quickies.”

In the past year, an overwhelming 84% of survey respondents between the ages of 23 to booked a trip within one week or less from their departure date, and 40% said they even booked the same day. However, not everyone is as spontaneous as this generation — the survey reveals nearly 1 in 4 Americans have yet to take a spontaneous trip.

Hotwire analyzed more than 10,000 internal and external data points across 250 cities based on three factors: Best Bang for the Buck (value-20%), Ease of Arrival (convenience-20%) and Things to Do (leisure-60%) to identify the top major, mid-size, small town, and itty-bitty cities that make it easy to get in and out while still finding great last-minute deals.

America’s Best Cities for a Quickie Index – Top 40:

Major Metropolises Population: 600,000+

1. Las Vegas, NV

2. Los Angeles, CA

2. San Diego, CA

4. Houston, TX

5. Dallas, TX

6. Philadelphia, PA

7. New York, NY

8. San Francisco, CA

9. Washington, D.C.

10. Austin, TXMid-Size Must-Sees

Population: 599,999 – 300,000

1. Atlanta, GA

2. Miami, FL

3. Tampa, FL

4. St. Louis, MO

5. New Orleans, LA

6. Minneapolis, MN

7. Cincinnati, OH

8. Milwaukee, WI

9. Pittsburgh, PA

10. Albuquerque, NMSmall Town Favorites

Population: 299,999 – 150,000

1. Orlando, FL

2. Richmond, VA

3. Boise, ID

3. Salt Lake City, UT

5. Reno, NV

5. Chattanooga, TN

7. Madison, WI

8. Birmingham, AL

9. Springfield, MO

10. Spokane, WAItty Bitty Cities

Population: under 150,000

1. Newport Beach, CA

2. Branson, MO

3. Charleston, SC

4. Sarasota, FL

5. Savannah, GA

6. Asheville, NC

7. Palm Springs, CA

8. Santa Fe, NM

9. Wilmington, DE

10. Monterey, CA

What Makes a City Great for a Quickie?

When it came to ranking the best cities for a “quickie,” these top 40 cities scored big in the following categories:

• Best Bang for Your Buck – Value (20%):

* High hotel demand

* Lowest average hotel daily rate

* Lowest average airfare ticket price

• Ease of Arrival – Convenience (20%):

* Short flight time (number of flights from top 50 U.S. airports that are 3 hours or less)

* Short drive time (number of top 50 U.S. metro areas within 250 miles)

* Shortest distance from airport to city center / downtown

• Things to Do – Leisure (60%):

* Most number of bars and restaurants

* Most things to do (sites and attractions)

* Least number of rainy days