DALLAS, April 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Local. Small-batch. Artisanal. These are just some of the words that describe a trend that shows no signs of slowing down - the interest in craft goods. These unique, locally produced goods - whether food, beverages or arts and crafts - continue to increase in popularity every year. A recent survey of over 1100 Americans conducted for Travelocity® revealed that, other factors being equal, over 80% of people surveyed prefer to shop and buy local 1 . One of the most recent additions to the craft scene are craft spirits, produced in small quantities by artisans in local distilleries.
This interest in craft goods extends to travelers, as visitors increasingly look to have experiences that are both authentic and local. To help people find the best places to experience craft spirits and the artisans who create them, Travelocity has teamed up with the American Distilling Institute to develop the first ever Craft Spirits Tourism Index. Looking at factors including the number of craft distilleries by population, the number of awards received by local craft spirits, accessibility by air, hotel cost and more, the index has revealed the best large and small metro areas to experience the art and culture of craft distilling.
| Top 10 Large Metro Areas (>1 million) | Top 10 Small Metro Areas (<1 million) |
| 1) Seattle, WA | 1) Corvallis, OR |
| 2) Portland, OR | 2) Wenatchee, WA |
| 3) Denver, CO | 3) Kingston, NY |
| 4) Washington, DC | 4) Boulder, CO |
| 5) San Diego, CA | 5) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 6) Philadelphia, PA | 6) Mt. Vernon/Anacortes, WA |
| 7) Austin, TX | 7) Ft. Collins, CO |
| 8) Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | 8) Bend, OR |
| 9) St. Louis, MO | 9) Glens Falls, NY |
| 10) Grand Rapids, MI | 10) Santa Rosa/Petaluma, CA |
"In 1880 there were over 5000 distilleries in the United States, most of which were small local producers of spirits. But by 1980, market consolidation and prohibition shrunk that number to fewer than 100 large national distilleries," said Eric Zandona, Director of Spirits Information for the American Distilling Institute. "In 1982 the American craft spirits industry was reborn and over the next three decades grew to over 1000 small distilleries spread across the country. Today, the industry is thriving and the number of craft distilleries is on pace to double in the next 3 to 5 years. We are thrilled to be working with Travelocity to introduce more people to the craftsmanship of these local distillers.”
Finding and booking a trip to one of the craft distilling hotspots named in the Travelocity Craft Spirits Tourism Index is made easy by visiting www.travelocity.com/craftspirits where travelers can find great offers for hotels, flight/hotel packages and more. Additionally, Travelocity has curated a number of bookable spirits tourism activities, including tours and tastings at www.travelocity.us/SpiritsActivities to help people explore the world of craft spirits.
About Travelocity
Travelocity encourages travelers to “Wander Wisely™” and is dedicated to being the champion of the customer with its Customer 1st Guarantee, making the traveling experience both simple and memorable with competitive prices, 24/7 customer service and more. Based in Dallas, Texas, Travelocity is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world’s leading travel companies, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes many of the world’s leading online travel properties.
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----------------------------- 1 Methodology: Conducted by Google Surveys, January 20 - January 22, 2017 and based on 1177 responses. Sample: National adult Internet population.
Contact Keith Nowak Travelocity 469-335-8670
