A recent survey conducted by AAA Texas confirmed what many Steiner Ranch residents already know: Austin is the perfect place for a getaway.
Thanks to the troubled state of the economy, a large number of Texans are deciding to take their vacations in their home state. In fact, 40% of those surveyed said they were planning to stay in Texas, compared to 35% from the previous year and 28% from the year before.
“Travelers who booked trips for this summer have tended to focus more on getting the most value for their money,” said Rhonda Wilson, who is the vice president and general manager of AAA Texas, in an Austin Biz Journals article. “However, right now we are seeing people who are more willing to come in and book more expensive ‘dream trips’ for the future beyond this summer, which is a signal that they are feeling more optimistic about their economic situations.”
For those who are choosing to stay close to home, San Antonio is the number one vacation destination among Texans, followed by Austin and then Dallas. With all that Austin has to offer, it is no surprise that the capital city ranks so highly on the list. In fact, despite the country’s economic troubles, Austin continues to grow and to expand its options to travelers. In fact, a new 103 room Hilton Garden Inn has recently opened in nearby New Braunfels. Located on I-35 North between San Antonio and Austin, the new inn is in the perfect location for travelers who want to enjoy the top two destinations in the state. It is also located within only minutes of the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Natural Bridge Caverns.
Austin also has much to offer to those who want to stick around for awhile, as its University of Texas was recently selecting as having the best “status and prestige” of all of the graduate schools in the state. The University of Texas received this honor after Decision Analyst, which is a consultancy service based in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, asked 2,160 Texans to select from among 51 graduate programs. When asked which schools they thought were the most prestigious, the University of Texas came out on top, followed by Rice University, Texas A&M and Southern Methodist University.
Although the survey was meant to determine the reputation and brand image of the schools rather than analyzing each program, it just goes to show how highly regarded the city and its schools really are.
“The brand image of the graduate business school and the brand image of the parent institution are entangled – each is influencing the other,” said Jerry W. Thomas, who the president and CEO of Decision Analyst, in an Austin Biz Journals article.