Orbitz says Austin 'hotspot' for 2012

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A mixture of data of online searches and travel bookings, blended with travel experts' and editors' experience, shows that Austin is one of the travel hotspots to watch for in 2012.

Calling Austin the "trendiest part of Texas," Orbitz predicted Thursday that music lovers will continue to make South By Southwest a stopping point come spring. The interactive, film and music festival runs March 9 to March 18, and helps the city maintain its title of "Live Music Capital of the World."

The planned opening of Formula One racing in November is also expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Central Texas to the "Circuit of the Americas" track in East Austin, which is still under construction.

Other cities Orbitz said are considered 2012 hotspots include London -- which hosts the Summer Olympics -- and Chicago, which is the site of the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and the G8 Summit.

Other great spots include San Diego; Washington, D.C. and Riviera Maya in Mexico.

The way consumers book their travel is expected to affect the mobile world, with predictions of double the amount of people in the U.S. who will make reservations for same-day stays via mobile channels, according to Orbitz.

Top U.S. destinations in 2011 were:

1. New York
2. Las Vegas
3. Orlando
4. Chicago
5. Los Angeles
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Atlanta
9. Washington
10. Boston

Top international destinations for 2011 were:

1. Cancun
2. San Juan, Puerto Rico
3. London
4. Paris
5. Mexico City
6. Toronto
7. Guadalajara
8. San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
9. San Jose, Costa Rica
10. Rome