Roughly 37% families have stated that vacations make them happy, making it the activity that makes families the happiest. Although places like Hawaii, which has seen a 4.3% annual increase in vacationers from 2010 to 2015, will always be popular destinations for families and couples alike, Orlando is among the top vacation destinations in the world.
According to WalletHub, Orlando, Florida has been ranked as the third best summer vacation spot in the United States.
WalletHub’s annual survey compiled data from vacationers across the globe, took a look at 80 popular vacation spots, and used 38 different types of indicators from cost effectiveness to photo quality to determine the 2017 Best Summer Vacation Spots.
Coming in at number one and two are Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angeles, California, with total scores of 73.97 and 73.58, respectively. Orlando placed third on the list; with a total score of 72.28, the 19th rated city in terms of “Travel Costs and Hassles,” the 10th best city in terms of “Local Costs,” and the seventh best city in the U.S. in terms of its “Attractions” rank.
Money reports that new attractions like the “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon” ride, “Skull Island: Region of Kong,” and “Volcano Bay,” have all contributed to the increased popularity of Orlando vacationing.
Despite all the fun that a trip to Orlando or any other destination might entail, it’s important that travelers are aware of the possibility of criminal activity in their homes.
Families should keep in mind that during these popular vacation months, burglars are constantly on the prowl in hopes of breaking into homes that are empty as a result of a family trip. Burglar prevention is key before any vacation — it’s estimated that roughly 67% of burglaries can be avoided by simply installing a video surveillance system.
In addition to a home security system, letting neighbors know when a family is going on vacation can help prevent any criminal activity from taking place while the family is out of town.
Even once vacationers are at their destination having fun, burglars are still aware that these families won’t stay inside their hotels, cabins, or vacation homes the entire time.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, international travelers who were staying in an Orlando vacation home had $300,000 worth of items stolen during 2016.
The Florida Attorney’s Office had to fly witnesses back to Orlando to testify against the four suspects. In addition to U.S. residents, witnesses were flown in from Venezuela, Canada, France, and England.
“Osceola County is a county that thrives on tourism with theme parks, hotels and many different vacation homes,” said Danielle Grobmyer, assistant state attorney. “It’s important that our office send a message that just because the individual targets a tourist doesn’t mean we’ll be any less light on prosecuting them.”
