According to a recent TripAdvisor(TM) survey of more than 2,400 travelers from around the world, fall and spring tied as the best seasons for traveling, and New England was chosen as the most desirable U.S. fall destination, by a wide margin, for the second straight year. Eighty-three percent of travelers will take a vacation this fall, down slightly from 88 percent last autumn. Nearly 50 percent of survey respondents plan to take at least one week of vacation this coming season. In addition to being the season for traveling, autumn is also a time for planning. Sixty-one percent of travelers book their winter and spring vacations in the fall.

Falling for Love and Festivals

The most popular reason for choosing fall for travel (33 percent of respondents) was "fewer tourists and crowds," beating out "reduced rates on lodging/transportation" and even "beautiful foliage." Romantics have a love affair with autumn, as 50 percent of respondents said their ideal fall vacation would be a getaway with their significant other.

Fall is the season of festivals, with arts and crafts festivals and music/performing arts festivals as the most popular among travelers, followed by beer festivals/Oktoberfests.

Hurricane Hardy and Terrorism Tested

Almost half of all survey respondents would visit a Caribbean or southeastern U.S. destination this fall, during the heart of hurricane season. Although 24 percent of travelers said they do not book vacations to hurricane-susceptible destinations during the fall, an astonishing 14 percent insist they would ride out the storm if threatened by a hurricane on vacation. Despite the recent threat of terrorism, 71 percent of travelers said their fall travel plans were not affected.

"Avoiding crowds is more appealing than beautiful, balmy weather," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor(TM). "Autumn brings a chance to savor good food and good wine with the ones we love. After the sweaty chaos of summer, it's time to relax and enjoy a different kind of travel."

  Top 5 Regions in the World for Fall Travel:
   1.  U.S.
   2.  Western Europe
   3.  The Caribbean/Mexico
   4.  Canada
   5.  Mediterranean Coast

  Top 5 Destinations in the U.S. for Fall Travel:
   1.  New England
   2.  California Wine Country
   3.  New York City
   4.  Las Vegas
   5.  Southeastern Coast

  Top Ten Wine Destinations in the World:
   1.  Napa Valley, U.S.
   2.  Tuscany, Italy
   3.  Bordeaux, France
   4.  Santiago, Chile
   5.  Sonoma, U.S.
   6.  Burgundy, France
   7.  La Rioja, Spain
   8.  Hunter Valley, Australia
   9.  Champagne-Ardenne, France
   10. Constantia, South Africa

  Top Ten Beer Destinations in the World:
   1.  Munich, Germany
   2.  Dublin, Ireland
   3.  Brussels, Belgium
   4.  London, England
   5.  Prague, Czech Republic
   6.  Amsterdam, Holland
   7.  Milwaukee, U.S.
   8.  Montreal, Canada
   9.  Sydney, Australia
   10. Sapporo, Japan

  About TripAdvisor LLC

TripAdvisor.com(TM) is the largest travel community in the world, with more than 5 million unbiased reviews and opinions, covering 220,000+ hotels and attractions. TripAdvisor(TM) is one of the most visited travel web domains worldwide, featuring real advice from real travelers and easy access to major online travel sites, including Expedia.com(R), Orbitz, Hotels.com(R) and American Airlines, for great deals. TripAdvisor(TM), which operates sites in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/) and in the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/) provides travel suppliers a graphical advertising and cost-per-click marketing platform. Winner of dozens of awards, including PC Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites and Forbes Best of the Web, TripAdvisor(TM) is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. .

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SOURCE: TripAdvisor LLC