Search data from global vacation exchange brand shows that travelers are looking to get away in groups and bring pets for Valentine’s Day trips
Parsippany, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2015) – With Valentine’s Day approaching, a romantic getaway is on many travelers’ minds. But they are not searching for the typical trip for two.
RCI , the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), took a look at data from RCI ® subscribing members searching for a vacation over the week of Valentine’s Day. The more than 750,000 searches conducted for that week yielded some interesting results.
Despite the romantic nature of the holiday, travelers were not looking to escape alone. Instead, they were searching for group travel in units with multiple bedrooms. In fact, only 4.6 percent searched for a unit for just two people. Unsurprisingly then, nearly 75 percent searched for a unit with two or more bedrooms. More space, bedrooms, and privacy are some of the many benefits of vacation ownership units.
Traveling companions no longer just include family and friends, as shown by the number of travelers looking to take their pet on vacation.The amount of members who searched for pet-friendly accommodations nearly tripled since the previous year, with more than eight percent wanting to take their furry friend on their Valentine’s Day getaway.
Some travelers searched specifically for an activity-based trip over Valentine’s Day week. Downhill skiing was the most popular search, with more than 67 percent looking for this type of trip. On the other end of the spectrum, a beach vacation came in second with nearly 1 in 5 looking for a beach trip.
For those travelers looking to book a specific destination, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya areas of Mexico took the most popular spot (13.4 percent). It was followed closely by Orlando, Florida (11.6 percent); Tenerife, Spain (7.3 percent); Cancun, Mexico (5.9 percent); and Hilton Head, South Carolina (5.8 percent).
For more information, visit RCI.com.
RCI data was pulled from RCI members using their RCI Weeks ® accounts searching for Valentine’s Day Week arrival dates. Data was pulled from those who conducted searches by December 31, 2014.
About RCI RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with nearly 4,500 affiliated resorts in more than 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through the RCI Weeks ® program, the week-for-week exchange system, and the RCI Points ® program, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI’s luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection ® ,is the world’s largest program of its kind with approximately 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents.RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center or rciaffiliates.com . RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Steven Alessandrini (973) 753-8278 Steven.Alessandrini@rci.com
Catherine Reynolds (973) 753-4662 Catherine.Reynolds@rci.com