Vacation Rentals Versus Hotels Trends for Florida’s Top Vacation Destinations in the Southwest Coast by Lodging Directory Rentalo.com
Comparison Shopping and Vacation Planning Trends for Travelers Searching for Vacation Rentals, Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts in Naples, Bradenton, Cape Coral, MarcoIsland, and Sanibel
Miami, FL. February 14, 2010 – Rentalo.com, the online lodging directory, has recently performed a market trend analysis on its database of 37,918 opted-in travelers who visited some of the top vacation destinations in the Southwest area of Florida’s gulf coast from July 2008 to January 2010. In an effort to educate the travel industry, the lodging website has decided to share these trends so travel experts and industry participants may fully understand the vacation planning dynamics and consumer’s interests. Travel experts, editors, and media publications interested in similar data pertaining to other vacation destinations, or additional consumer data stats such as budget, amenities, length of stays, peak seasons, and inventory data should contact Rentalo directly.
Southwest Florida Beach Vacation Destination: Sanibel
Sanibel travelers like comparing offers from hotels, bed and breakfast, and Sanibel vacation rentals as 49 percent of the inquiries for multiple properties accepted to receive offers from bed and breakfasts and hotels in Sanibel. 21.99 percent were interested in offers from nearby destinations such as Fort Myers Beach, Captiva, Matlacha, Cape Coral, and Estero.
Most Sanibel travelers are early planners with 48.33 percent of the inquiries received 3 months in advance of the travel date, 21 percent of the inquiries were received 1-2 months in advance, while 26.31 percent were received only one month prior to the arrival date.
Southwest Florida Golf Vacation Destination: Bradenton
The study revealed that 51.81 percent of travelers that look for Bradenton vacation rentals are also interested in comparing offers from other types of accommodations like hotels and bed and breakfasts. 7.93 percent were also interested in accommodations in nearby destinations like Palmetto, Ellenton, Bradenton Beach, Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, and others.
Bradenton is a popular destination among couples. 45.65 percent of the inquiries requested were for parties of 2, 30.30 percent were for families with kids, and 23.48 percent were for groups larger than 4 people.
50.69 percent of travelers inquired for accommodations with 3 months in advance, 19.79 percent did it between 1 to two months in advance, and 25.24 percent 30 days prior to the arrival date.
Southwest Florida Family Vacation Destination: Cape Coral
Cape Coral is a popular destination among couples. 45 percent of the inquiries were for parties of two, 28.83 percent were from travelers with children, while big groups represented 25.90 percent of the total inquiries.
Cape Coral visitors like to compare offers between different accommodation types, as 50.29 percent of the inquiries received accepted to receive offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts in addition to Cape Coral vacation rentals. 13.69 percent requested offers from other destinations like Matlacha, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Bokeelia, Sanibel and others.
Travelers to Cape Coral plan their vacation with time. 53.79 percent of the inquiries were sent with 3 months of advance, 21.11 percent with 1 to 2 months in advance, and 21.97 percent were last minute inquiries received 30 days prior to the arrival date.
Southwest Florida Beach Vacation Destination: Marco Island
The study data reveals an interest in comparison shopping as 51.20 percent of the travelers interested in Marco Island vacation rentals, were also interested in comparing offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts. 41.18 percent were interested in receiving offers from Naples.
49.64 percent of the vacation rental seekers start planning their vacations within 30 days prior to arrival, 20.96 percent plan their vacations 3 or more months in advance, and 26.08 percent plan their vacation 1-2 months in advance.
Marco Island requests for family accommodations represented the 35.49 percent, 39.74 percent from couples looking for romantic getaways, and 23.40 percent were from larger groups with 4 or more adults and children.
Southwest Florida Destination: Naples
The studies on Naples show that the majority of travelers looking for Naples vacation rentals were interested in comparing prices between bed and breakfasts and hotels in Naples. 53.54 percent of the travelers who inquired on multiple properties accepted to receive offers from the three types of lodgings at the same time.
36.12 percent were also interested in receiving offers from nearby destinations including Bonita Beach, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island.
49.39 percent plan their vacation 3 or more months in advance, 21.58 percent plan their vacation 1-2 months in advanced, and 25.57 percent plan their vacation within 30 days prior to arrival (last minute).
Accommodations suitable for families with children represented 28.72 percent of the total inquiries, 46.75 percent were for parties of two, and 20.56 percent for big groups of more than 4 people.
In today's fast paced world, information availability plays a definite role in consumer's decisions. “Rentalo.com makes it easy for travelers and vacation planners to compare offers from hotels, vacation rentals, and bed and breakfasts,” says Gabriel Amorocho, Marketing Manager at Rentalo.com “We assist travelers in making more informed decisions about their lodging options, therefore helping them to get the most out of their budget and vacation. Marketers can also benefit from this information.”
About Rentalo.com
Rentalo.com is a leading online travel lodging and vacation rentals website. Its inventory of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and hotels is accessible through search engines, RSS feeds, affiliate online 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, go to http://rentalo.com or call (877) 710-5914, 1(305) 558-5577.
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