Hotels.com sees Farnborough hotel searches soar

Hotels.com's latest hot list of the fastest-rising destinations for hotel searches across in July has revealed that Farnborough in Hampshire has managed to top the list. 

The town famed for its annual summer air show topped the table of fastest rising destinations with a 565% increase in searches in July compared with the same time last year. The interest in staying in Farnborough around the time of the air show provides a good indicator of the continued endurance in popularity of the UK 'staycation' throughout 2010.

Further afield and with schools out for the summer, beach destinations in Florida and Christchurch, New Zealand, saw an annual rise of 405% and 340% for the month. The Moroccan hot spots of Agadir and Marrakech also made it into the top 10, with their searches growing by 325% and 255%, while Jamaica, which is renowned for its luxury resorts and long sandy stretches of beach, rose by 250%.

Overall there were thirteen European destinations in the top-20 including the usual short-haul favourites of Spain, France and Greece.

Alison Couper, communications director at Hotels.com, said: "After a cracking July weather-wise, and more of us content to take our holidays at home this year, it is not surprising to see the historic town of Farnborough take the top spot with the help of its magnificent air show."

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About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers more than 120,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide , with a wide choice of hotels in LA, San Diego hotels, Orlando hotels and hotels in New York City.

If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 1.8m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to terms and conditions). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009.

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