Orange County has become a more costly place for business travelers this year, ranking as the No. 24 most-costly area nationally, up from No. 45 last year.
That’s according to the 2001 Corporate Travel Index done by New York-based Business Travel News. But despite climbing into the top quarter in per-day business travel costs, OC still comes in below other Southern California cities, as well as regional and national cost averages.
The average per-day cost for business travel to OC now sits at $207.39. The West region,the most costly in the nation for the first time,averages $225.45 per day. The nationwide daily average for 2001 is $215.41. New York City remains the price leader with a $408.14 per-day average.
In the Southland, Los Angeles ranks No. 6 in per-day costs at $298.99, while San Diego ranks No. 13 at $253.29.
The average hotel cost in OC rose to $98 from $92 last year, putting the county at No. 62 for hotel costs among the 100 largest areas, up from No. 68 last year. San Diego, with average hotel costs of $143, remained at No. 15. Los Angeles, with an average rate of $178, fell to No. 8 from No. 7.
OC car rental costs rank No. 40 this year, at $54.99, up from No. 63 last year. Los Angeles moved up to No. 30 from No. 42 for car costs, with a daily rate of $56.49. San Diego fell one spot to No. 47 with a daily rate of $54.24.
OC jumped to the No. 17 most-costly area for average daily food costs, from No. 58 a year ago. Travelers to OC this year will pay an average of $54.40 per day for meals. In San Diego, those meals will run $56.05 daily, which boosts San Diego to No. 12 from No. 27 last year. In Los Angeles, average daily food costs climbed to $64.50, No. 4 in the nation this year, but still a drop from No. 2 in 2000.
The Corporate Travel Index surveys prices in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the Census Bureau and uses established industry sources for data.
