STAMFORD, CONN. - KAYAK released its 2016 Travel Hacker Guide, an interactive resource full of data-driven insights and hacks. Whether you're a jetsetter looking for the next "it" destination or someone who simply resolved to travel more this year but doesn't know where to begin, KAYAK has you covered.
The 2016 Guide was curated by KAYAK's team of data scientists and travel experts who analyzed the site's more than one billion annual searches to identify key insights on where to go and when to book to make travel planning easier. The 2016 Travel Hacker Guide reveals the following:
- Vegas took the number one spot on the Top 10 Most Popular Destinations. Sin City dethroned NYC, the #1 most popular destination in 2015.
- Asia dominates the Top 10 Luxury for Less Destinations list with six featured cities across China, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and Thailand.
- It doesn't require a long flight to get to one of the Top 10 Trending Beach Destinations. East Coasters can opt for San Juan, Barbados or Curacao, while those on the West Coast might consider one of the two Hawaiian Islands on the list.
- If you've been considering a trip to the Far East, now might be the time. Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Beijing are among the Top 10 Deal Destinations seeing the greatest decrease in airfare since last year.
- London and Cancun are among the Top Ten Most Popular Family Destinations and offer good news for procrastinators: these international hotspots don't require significant lead-time to score a deal. KAYAK data shows the best airfares were found a month before departure for both destinations.
- More than half of the Top 10 Trending Destinations are European cities. Spain tops the list with Barcelona and Madrid seeing the greatest increase in interest from travelers.
The Guide also includes useful information that will make planning easier, including when to book guidance, median hotel costs and average temperature and precipitation by month for each destination.
"By converting the data from more than a billion searches into practical advice, we can help people make even better travel decisions this year," said David Solomito, North America Brand Director for KAYAK. "Now is the time to plan a trip, especially given historically low fuel prices and the strength of the dollar. Our best advice for travelers is to plan ahead. If you see a flight that works for you or if you have a hotel in mind that you really want to try – don't wait."
Visit the 2016 Travel Hacker Guide for full findings across all six lists and detailed methodology, and visit KAYAK's website to plan and manage your next trip. In addition to searching for flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages, you can set up Price Alerts to receive notifications when the price changes for a flight or hotel you want and use KAYAK's Explore feature to see all the places you can fly to within a certain budget.
