Honolulu Forbes 2nd Most Expensive U.S. Cities to Visit

File photo.

New York and Honolulu came in first and second in Forbes magazine’s list of the 2011 top ten most expensive cities to visit in America.

Up from Number 3 in 2010 and Number 4 in 2009, Honolulu hotel prices dropped less than 1% in 2010, following the previous year’s 12% fall, signifying signs of a recovery for Hawaii tourism.

New Orleans returned to the list at number 9 and is also the lists most notable mover this year. Forbes attributed the movement to the city’s hosting of the 2010 Super Bowl victory, convention numbers that have picked up, and promotional activities around both.

Two new cities replacing old one’s in the top 10 were Monterey and Santa Barbara, replacing San Diego and San Francisco.

Victor Owens, vice president of Hotels.com, told Forbes, “2010 prices ended at 2004 levels, after a two-year fall which cancelled out four years of growth. There is still value (for consumers) in the marketplace, but we seem to be slowly climbing out of the ditch.” He went on to say that the “first wave of leisure travelers that comes back is the affluent one.”

Forbes’Top Ten Most Expensive Cities in the U.S.

1. New York, NY

2. Honolulu, HI

3. Boston, MA

4. Santa Barbara, CA

5. Washington D.C.

6. Miami, FL

7. Chicago, IL

8. Idaho Falls, ID

9. New Orleans, LA

10. Monterrey, CA 

 By Sonia Isotov