Despite the pound currently struggling against the dollar, holiday bookings to the USA are still looking strong as thousands of Brits continue to choose North America as their number one long- haul holiday destination for 2009, according to data released today by ebookers.com, one of Europe�s leading online travel agents.

Even as the credit crunch hits and the exchange rate continues to drop, British holidaymakers are still planning to flock to the US next year with four North American states featuring in ebookers� top 10 destinations for 2009, dominating the list as the country gets ready to embrace a new era under Barack Obama.

ebookers top 10 destinations for 2009 TOP 10 DESTINATIONS FOR 2009 1 NEW YORK 2 BANGKOK 3 ORLANDO 4 JOHANNESBURG 5 LAS VEGAS 6 CAPE TOWN 7 PERTH 8 DUBAI 9 SYDNEY 10 MIAMI Despite the economic downturn, it seems that Brits are still confident that they can get more bang for their buck stateside as New York tops the list as the preferred travel destination so far for 2009, with thousands of smart British travellers heading to the Big Apple to snap up the latest technology and fashion at bargain prices.

Hot on its heels is the traveller hotspot of Bangkok, followed in third place by the popular family choice, Orlando. In fact, the sunshine state of Florida is the destination of choice for many Brits with two cities in the South Eastern state making it into the top 10 travel destinations for ebookers travellers next year, highlighting our wish to jet away to sunnier climes due to the unpredictable British weather.

ebookers Top 10 US Destinations

TOP 10 DESTINATIONS FOR 2009 TOP 10 DESTINATIONS FOR 2008 1 NEW YORK NEW YORK 2 ORLANDO ORLANDO 3 LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS 4 MIAMI LOS ANGELES 5 LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO 6 TAMPA BOSTON 7 SAN FRANCISCO CHICAGO 8 ATLANTA MIAMI 9 BOSTON WASHINGTON DC 10 CHICAGO ATLANTA

With its breadth of offering, the States is far and away the most popular destination for British travellers next year with the top three US destinations in 2008 continuing to see the strongest bookings for 2009. Las Vegas remains a popular choice for travellers looking to turn their fortunes at the casinos to ride out the recession and while Washington has slipped out of the rankings, there is a new entry into the list with Tampa which features at number six.

Claire Howard-Jones, Head of Marketing for ebookers, commented: �With the threat of a recession looming, many Brits are keen to escape the doom and gloom of Britain but are worried they cannot afford it, however a holiday in the sun need not cost the earth. Smart holiday bookers can actually take advantage of the current financial crisis as there are some fantastic deals to the USA and other long haul destinations to be had, if you know where to look.�

�At ebookers.com we make travel bookings easier, offering holiday makers a one stop shop for travel, with a huge variety of travel choices at the guaranteed best prices* . Our site also provides insider travel knowledge and travel tips to make holiday decisions easier and smarter so whether you�re looking to head to the USA or take a less travelled path, start planning for 2009 and visit us at ebookers.com now.�

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* The ebookers Price Guarantee applies to online bookings only, subject to some small terms and conditions � see website for details. About ebookers.com ebookers.com, one of Europe's largest online travel agents, prides itself on making travel booking decisions easier and offers excellent value travel with a best price guarantee. ebookers.com is a brand that is owned and operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW). It has origins going back 20 years and has close relationships with leading travel suppliers of hotels and airlines. It offers a huge selection of choice from over 200 airlines, 84,000 hotels around the globe and car hire from most of the major international brands as well as providing both ski and cruise packages.

About Orbitz Worldwide Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travellers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns and operates a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com), RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com), the Away Network (www.away.com) and corporate travel brand Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com). For more information, visit the Orbitz Worldwide Investor Relations website at http://www.orbitz-ir.com.

For more information please contact ebookersteam@redconsultancy.com or call 020 7025 6650