Priceline had good news Monday for San Diego’s tourism industry, but local residents may see a spike in highway traffic as travelers converge here for Memorial Day.
The online travel website’s annual list of the top 25 destinations for the holiday ranked San Diego second, after Las Vegas and ahead of Orlando. Neighborhing Orange County came in 6th place.
A combination of low gasoline prices, a rough winter in the Northeast, and wallet-friendly hotel rates in cities across the country is creating a deal-friendly kick-off to the summer travel season, according to Priceline.
“Memorial Day weekend is typically the first big chance hotels have of luring consumers out of their homes after a long winter,” said Brian Ek, Priceline’s travel editor. “Fueled by low gas prices and an increased trust in access to last-minute deals, we’ve seen a dramatic upwards trend.”
For the second year in a row, the four busiest destinations for the upcoming long weekend are expected to be Las Vegas, San Diego, Orlando and New York City, based on advance hotel reservations for May 22 to May 25 made Priceline customers.
