CHICAGO, June 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading online travel company Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) has partnered with Puerto Rico Tourism Co. to launch "Orbitz Originals: Secrets of Puerto Rico," a 10-part online video series that is hosted by award-winning travel expert Richard Bangs and is available for viewing at Orbitz.com/PuertoRico. Supported by hotel discounts of up to 20 percent off and substantial flight and hotel package savings, this ninth installment of the "Orbitz Originals" series once again harnesses the power of online video to inspire travelers and increase bookings to this beautiful Caribbean destination.
Research indicates that online video is an important source of inspiration in the travel planning process, with 64 percent of travelers watching online video when choosing a destination and 62 percent watching online video when looking for activities offered at a particular destination.1 "Orbitz Originals: Secrets of Puerto Rico" showcases the tropical paradise's many accommodations, activities and adventures, created to entice travelers to visit and experience it all for themselves. Using colorful descriptions and his expert perspective, Bangs takes viewers on an engaging tour of Puerto Rico's many offerings.
Select highlights from the 10-part series:
- "Puerto Rico Adventures" gives viewers an overview of all of the high-adventure that awaits on the island, including a trip down the world's second-longest and highest zip line.
- "The Best Scuba Diving on the Planet" explores the aquarium-like conditions and wildlife at "The Wall," a cliff of coral some 22 miles long, just off the island's south side near the Copamarina Resort.
- "Barefoot Luxury" contains Richard's "Gold List" of the top hotels, resorts and spas on the island.
- "The Best Golfing in Puerto Rico" gives golf pros and enthusiasts alike a feel for the many world-class courses available on the island with World Golf Hall of Famer Chi Chi Rodriquez.
"The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is very excited to join with Orbitz and Richard Bangs on this fantastic 'Orbitz Originals' series," said Gabriel Emanuelli, director of global sales for Puerto Rico Tourism Co.
To date, "Orbitz Originals" videos highlighting Cancun, the Cayman Islands, Qatar, Vermont, Western Ireland, New York and Florida have been viewed over one million times by travelers seeking inspiration for future trips. Bookings to those destinations have experienced double-digit growth over the life of each campaign.
"Our goal for each installment of the 'Orbitz Originals' series is to use the power of video to give travelers a real sense of the destination and inspire them to visit," said Josh Winkler, Orbitz Worldwide vice president of partner marketing. "In the case of Puerto Rico, Richard provides an expert look at this gorgeous destination, providing keen recommendations travelers can take advantage of when booking their getaway."
1The Traveler's Road to Decision, Google and Ipsos MediaCT (July 2012)
About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a leading travel website that enables consumers to search for and book a broad range of hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and destination activities. Since launching in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the world's largest online travel sites. Orbitz.com now offers the groundbreaking Orbitz Rewards loyalty program—the only program where customers can earn rewards immediately on flights, hotels and packages, and redeem instantly on tens of thousands of hotels worldwide. Use the Orbitz Rewards Visa® Card to earn even more rewards. Orbitz.com is the #1 way to book travel on mobile devices, be it using our apps (get them at www.orbitz.com/mobile) or our smartphone-optimized website (m.orbitz.com), both of which are tailored for smartphones and tablets. The Orbitz app for iPhone is one of only 48 apps out of nearly 900,000 available apps chosen by Apple to be inducted into its App Store Hall of Fame. Orbitz also ranks #1 in Online Travel Website Customer Satisfaction in the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index. Orbitz members get exclusive access to Insider Steals hotel deals, promotions and other saving opportunities. Follow Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and through the Orbitz Travel Blog. Orbitz.com is operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW).
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world`s largest airlines and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.
About Puerto Rico Tourism Co.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), founded in 1970, is a public corporation responsible for stimulating, promoting and regulating the development of the tourism industry. It markets Puerto Rico as a tourism destination through advertising, public relations and promotional activities; promotes tourism among local residents; provides visitor orientation and technical assistance to investors; evaluates tourism facilities and establishes standards of quality; and regulates and oversees gaming operations. PRTC has offices and representatives in the U.S. mainland, Canada, Europe and Latin America.