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Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ le monstre du lac
Brrr... who was it that said coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco? The summer fog off the cold Pacific is not ideal in mid summer. I've always heard October is the sweet spot.
Depends where in the Bay Area you intend to visit....just 10- 15 minutes north (Marin) or east (East Bay) can be a solid 10-15 degrees, or more, warmer than the city of SF which sucks in the fog that makes it cold....Napa/Sonoma is lovely and warm in the summer. I used to live in Mill Valley (Marin) and it was not uncommon for me to lay at the pool in sunny and high 70's weather (Mt. Tamalpais would block the fog) whereas SF, just 15 minutes away was a "freezing" 60 something.
I’m not surprised at all. The majority of people that visit those cities visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The PNW in the summer time is fantastic.
SF not being in the top 10 was surprising to me too.
SF has a bad reputation right now. People are scared to travel to SF due to all the violence and lawlessness. No one wants to get murdered on vacation. The entire city is in decline.
Last edited by Thealpinist; 05-21-2023 at 08:58 AM..
Surprised that DC does not come upon in the top ten. Maybe most of its summertime visitors come by car or rail?
Surprised that San Francisco isn't on the list, but maybe it's had too much bad national press recently to attract as many tourists.
Also surprised that Seattle and Portland are on this list. Both are interesting cities, with lots of things to do and see. But I never thought of them as summer vacation destinations for most people.
Seattle and PDX are taking off for tourist since the pandemic more Americans are visiting the great National Parks. People want to visit natural wonders more and more. Despite some city dysfunction Seattle has pretty darn good access to some of the best National Parls.. Being close to BC helps too.
I’m pretty sure Seattle is massively benefiting from the cruise industry to Alaska. More people choosing to depart for Alaskan cruises in Seattle.
In conclusion Seattle is really only benefiting from the area that surrounds it. People are visiting Seattle frequently as a byproduct of its location. PDX to a lesser extent.
Last edited by Thealpinist; 05-21-2023 at 09:10 AM..
Seattle and PDX are taking off for tourist since the pandemic more Americans are visiting the great National Parks. People want to visit natural wonders more and more. Despite some city dysfunction Seattle has pretty darn good access to the great National Parks. Being close to BC helps too.
I’m pretty sure Seattle is massively benefiting from the cruise industry to Alaska.
Truth to all of this. I don't think Seattle, itself, is a final destination for some of these numbers. Some, certainly, but not all. It's fun to take a clipper from Seattle to Victoria, and then on to Vancouver. I've done that, and I know other people who have. You fly into Seattle, and out of Vancouver. At least, that's what we did.
I’m pretty sure Seattle is massively benefiting from the cruise industry to Alaska. More people choosing to depart for Alaskan cruises in Seattle.
In conclusion Seattle is really only benefiting from the area that surrounds it. People are visiting Seattle frequently as a byproduct of its location.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bicala
Truth to all of this. I don't think Seattle, itself, is a final destination for some of these numbers. Some, certainly, but not all. It's fun to take a clipper from Seattle to Victoria, and then on to Vancouver. I've done that, and I know other people who have. You fly into Seattle, and out of Vancouver. At least, that's what we did.
Isn't that true for many places on this list? How many people flying to Boston in the summer are really going to Cape Cod, Maine, NH or Vermont for summer vacation? Many cruises start at Miami.
Regardless, local businesses still benefit quite a lot. Pike Place, the waterfront, and Seattle Center have been an absolute madhouse since April. Hotel room demand in the summer is basically back to 2019 levels.
You could argue Seattle has always benefited from the area that surrounds it, including all the people who live and work in it right now.
Surprised that DC does not come upon in the top ten. Maybe most of its summertime visitors come by car or rail?
Surprised that San Francisco isn't on the list, but maybe it's had too much bad national press recently to attract as many tourists.
Also surprised that Seattle and Portland are on this list. Both are interesting cities, with lots of things to do and see. But I never thought of them as summer vacation destinations for most people.
Seattle benefits from national parks and scenery, sure. And cruise ships do push tens of thousands of people per day through the core (on peak days), with 1/4 sticking around overnight. And the summer weather is the best in NA. But it's also a growing city-tourism destination.
The central waterfront, the Pike Place Market district, and the Seattle Center (Space Needle etc.) are mob scenes this weekend. It would take 15 minutes to push through the four-block main hallway at the Market.
Greater Downtown has 16,000 hotel rooms despite the small convention capacity.
Second tier, sure. But in the summer, and even the shoulder seasons, that's still saying a lot. It used to be third-tier.
VERY misleading title as this is only for those who fly somewhere and spend a minimum of 5 days at their destination and who booked online travel packages with sites offering Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance. That's not a very large sample. 1.6 million travelers out of a country of 330 million? In all my travels I have never in my life booked a travel package and have never even heard of Allianz Global Assistance, and I'm sure there are many seasoned travelers who are similar.
Bayern Munich, a top 5 soccer team in the world in terms of prestige, play at Allianz Arena. That's the extent of my familiarity with 'Allianz'
I imagine Boston being so high on the list has everything to do with Maine, Cape Cod, and the Islands. And, school visits.
Otherwise, the tourist destinations and downtown Boston / adjacent neighborhoods are kind of bleh in the summer. Its population decreases fairly significantly without the student population, and many folks are north or south at the Lakes or Ocean. It’s just not a great summer city, with limited festivals and reasons to explore. It’s arguably the calmest time of the year.
I happen to like Boston in the summer as a non-tourist. Easy to get into restaurants, open space along the Charles, beer gardens, harbor cruises, etc.
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