A leading discount travel site, released the March 2012 Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator, which features the top five cities in North America where hotel, air and car rental rates have dropped the most compared to this time last year.

“As we exit winter and temperatures begin to rise we’re seeing warm-weather locales like Southern California and Dallas offering great prices to entice travelers looking to get a head start on their spring vacations,” said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. “We’re also happy to report that one of the top value cities on our recently released 2012 Travel Value Index – Albuquerque – is proving its worth with big decreases in air and car rental prices this month.”

Atlantic City tops the hotel list this month with a 21% price drop. The beginning of the year tends to be slow for the Vegas of the East, so hotels always offer deeper discounts to fill their rooms. However this year, several new properties have been causing some stiff competition in the area, resulting in even lower rates.

In 2011 Dallas hosted the Super Bowl, causing hotel prices to skyrocket. This year, however, new hotels have increased the number of hotel rooms, driving down prices and putting the Dallas-Fort Worth area at second place with a 15 percent decrease.
Reno-Tahoe, Halifax and Washington, D.C., round out the list.

Last month Reno-Tahoe topped this list at first place, and although it drops to third in March with a 12 percent price drop, the city continues to be a deal market due to a weak winter demand. Halifax, Nova Scotia, makes its debut on the Travel Savings Indicator with a nine percent price drop.

Known as a beautiful leisure destination in Canada, the city is experiencing a slower tourist season than usual due to the cold winter weather. Washington DC makes a welcome return to round out the top five as the city is experiencing a lighter legislative calendar than last year, prompting less business travel and a dip in prices, especially during midweek.

Those in need of sunshine are in luck, because sunny Southern California is a deal market for airfare this month. Palm Springs tops the list with a 13% price drop and Los Angeles boasts an 11% decrease.

Chicago maintains its presence for the second consecutive month with a 13% decrease and an overall value city for 2012 as reflected in Hotwire’s Travel Value Index, Albuquerque saw an 11% decrease this month. Baltimore rounds out the top five air decreases with a seven percent price drop.

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