Americans Pick Their Favorite Beaches; Florida Beaches Secure Five Spots in the Top 10.

Travel Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 2003

Americans are planning to hit the beaches in droves this year, according to a recent survey conducted by National Geographic Traveler magazine and Yahoo! Travel (http://travel.yahoo.com). Ninety percent of respondents said they "definitely will" or are "very likely" to head for the beach in the coming year. In fact, beaches will draw three quarters (74 percent) of all respondents planning a leisure trip, with city trips ranking a distant second at just 11.4 percent, followed by national parks and mountains.

Travelers Pick The Top U.S. Beaches

Which U.S. beaches ranked highest? Travelers selected their top ten favorite sandy spots:

1. Miami, FL

2. Myrtle Beach, SC

3. Panama City, FL

4. Waikiki, HI

5. Tampa Bay, FL

6. St. Thomas, USVI 

7. Key West, FL

8. Kaanapali, HI

9. St. John, USVI

10. Naples, FL

Top Factors Determining Top Beaches

Survey respondents indicated cleanliness was the most important factor influencing choice of favorite beach, with 56 percent of the votes, followed by scenery/panorama (55 percent), climate (42 percent), water temperature (32 percent) and romantic environment (21 percent) (multiple responses allowed).

Top Beach Activities

More than half of respondents (51 percent) plan to head for the water while others are taking to the sand for their favorite beach activities: building sandcastles (46 percent), having a party/BBQ (43 percent) and flying a kite (27 percent).

"We are excited to team up with Yahoo! Travel to showcase America's Top Beaches this summer," said Keith Bellows, Editor-in-Chief, National Geographic Traveler. "With Americans driving to their vacation destinations more than ever, it is not surprising that many of the top picks were Florida beaches which are easy to drive to from many regions across the country."

The survey results appear in the July/August 2003 issue of National Geographic Traveler, hitting newsstands today, and at Yahoo! Travel (http://travel.yahoo.com/beaches), where consumers can also research, plan and book travel to one of America's favorite sandy spots or their own favorite beach destination.

National Geographic Traveler and Yahoo! Travel surveyed more than 2,200 people on the Yahoo! network during May 2003 through a joint online survey. Additionally, as part of a larger content licensing and marketing agreement, Yahoo! Travel will feature National Geographic Traveler content on the site and will be conducting additional joint surveys through out the year.

About National Geographic Traveler

National Geographic Traveler is the world's most widely read travel magazine. Published eight times a year, Traveler is available by subscription (800-NGS-LINE) and on newsstands in the United States ($4.95) and Canada ($6.95). Traveler's Web site is at www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler.

About Yahoo! Travel

Yahoo! Travel (http://travel.yahoo.com) is the most comprehensive online travel destination, offering consumers a single place to plan, research and book all their trips. Featuring special offers from top travel suppliers, including airlines, cars, hotels, vacations, and cruises, the site offers one-stop travel shopping with quick search options, personalized "Best Fare" deals and easy access to personal reservations and flight status. Easy to navigate, search, and customize, Yahoo! Travel also offers Travel Spotlights, Last-Minute Vacations, city guides, hotel guides, currency converters and interactive maps. As part of the Yahoo! network, it provides links to weather, shopping and news, and services such as Yahoo! Wallet for quick and secure transactions.