Kansas
City, Mo. (August 28, 2012) –
Despite years of a challenging economic climate, new research points to
a
revival of the most meaningful driver of American vacations: the
emotional
connection between travel and quality of life. Leisure travelers are
doing less
of the things that characterized the economic hardship of recent years
and are
now adopting more behaviors that confirm the importance of travel in
their
emerging lifestyles, according to the newly released MMGY
Global/Harrison Group 2012
Portrait of American Travelers, a nationally-representative survey
of 2,527 U.S. households.
The
in-depth, annual survey reveals that while the average number of
overnight
leisure trips taken during the past year has remained essentially
unchanged
versus the previous year, the motivations underlying these getaways are
evolving. “Trading down,” “staycations” and other cost-conscious travel
behaviors that emerged during the Great Recession have waned, and the
new
findings augur well for a boost in 2013 travel spending thanks to a
renewed
interest in quality experiences that Americans deem “worth it.”
Key
insights from the new MMGY
Global/Harrison Group 2012 Portrait of American Travelers reveal
that today’s travelers:
- PLACE
HIGH VALUE ON THE EMOTIONAL POWER OF TRAVEL: More than nine in
10 travelers agree, "The memories I get from my vacations make the trip
worth it.” This and other emotional connections echo throughout the
study, suggesting this sentiment is the primary reason for renewed
interest in travel by consumers who endured years of having less money
and time to do so. Vacationers’ top goals for the coming year speak to
this connection – they want to see more of the world and spend
more time with family and friends (37 and 29 percent, respectively).
Additionally, 75 percent of leisure travelers agree, "Taking a vacation
is the event I most look forward to each year," and fully half would
even take a vacation by themselves to “get away from it all,” if given
the opportunity.
- ARE MORE
LIKELY TO TRADE UP: More travelers prefer upscale hotels and
resorts this year than last, with 26 percent of vacationers
preferring luxury lodging versus just 15 percent in 2011 – a
statistically significant boost. And travelers increasingly place a
premium on the convenience associated with access to full hotel
services: fully eight in 10 now prefer a full-service hotel or resort
(with a restaurant), compared to 75 percent just two years ago.
- EMPHASIZE
THE EXPERIENCE VS. THE COST: Travelers in all annual household
income groups now value “quality” over “savings.” They are more willing
to pay full price “as long as I am guaranteed the quality and service I
deserve." In a surprising departure from the travel planning scenarios
that prevailed during the recent recession, today’s travelers choose
the destination (34 percent) and type of trip (33 percent) first,
before setting a budget (18 percent) and searching for deals (eight
percent). The number of travelers engaged in general cost-cutting
shopping behaviors has also declined. Significantly fewer vacationers
now wait for items to go on sale, purchase generic or less expensive
brands, or maintain a membership in a travel rewards program. However,
perceived “value for the price” remains the most influential factor for
nine out of 10 travelers when choosing lodging. The influence of
“value” on hotel and resort selection has increased coincidental with a
decline in the influence of “room rates,” suggesting that travelers
really do make a distinction between “price” and “value.”
- FOCUS
MORE ON FAMILY: “Togethering” vacations are on the rise in what
remains an uncertain economy, with 43 percent of leisure travelers
saying family getaways were the primary purpose of one or more leisure
trips during the past year, compared to 40 percent just two years
ago. This renewed familial focus has also given way to a
significant boost in multigenerational travel – 23 percent of all
active leisure travelers are now grandparents, and 37 percent of those
took at least one vacation with their grandchildren during the past 12
months (compared to just 32 percent in 2011).
- CHANGED
THE TYPES OF TRIPS TAKEN LAST YEAR: In an interesting
juxtaposition of interests, more travelers enjoyed both trips focused
on outdoor activities as well as city-based vacations last year, with
each type of getaway reflecting a two percentage-point rise since 2011
(46 and 25 percent, respectively). And while trips focused on outdoor
activities rose in popularity, less-active general sightseeing
vacations declined significantly, dropping from 29 percent in 2011 to
just 26 percent today. Gambling vacations and trips to see sporting
events also declined in popularity.
- SHOW A
SHIFT IN DESTINATION INTEREST: While the most popular U.S.
states retained their appeal this year (Calif., Fla., HI, N.Y. and AK),
the allure of several other domestic destinations has increased. States
like Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona and Tennessee saw decreases in interest,
while Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon and Washington, DC, were the
beneficiaries of increased interest. Consistent with the preferences
cited earlier, many destinations that feature outdoor recreation now
enjoy a statistically significant rise in interest – think mountain
areas such as the Utah mountain resorts, Lake Tahoe (Calif. and Nev.),
Gatlinburg (Tenn.), Pocono Mountains (Pa.), as well as coastal spots
like the Mississippi and Florida Gulf Coasts, Atlantic City (N.J.), the
Outer Banks (N.C.) and South Carolina shoreline. Other destinations
with rising popularity are those that offer unique visitor experiences
such as historic Colonial Williamsburg (Va.) and St. Augustine (Fla.),
wine-focused Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley (Calif.) and glitzy hotspot
Las Vegas (Nev.). International destinations with rising interest in
visitation include Africa, the Middle East and Oceania (Australia, New
Zealand and Pacific Islands, etc.). However, fewer U.S. travelers are
interested in international trips overall, dropping to nine percent of
all leisure travelers today (versus 11 percent last year).
- USE
MOBILE MEDIA DIFFERENTLY: The usage of tablets has exploded
during the past two years. While less than one in 10 leisure travelers
accessed the Internet through an iPad or tablet computer in 2011, this
has increased nearly four-fold to 27 percent in 2012. When comparing
the activities performed by leisure travelers on tablets versus
smartphones, travelers now use tablets more frequently when comparing
prices, making air travel, lodging reservations, or purchasing tickets
to attractions and other activities. Smartphones are more likely to be
used for activities on the go, such as finding nearby restaurants and
shops, navigation, scanning QR codes, or using check-in features or
apps such as Facebook Places and Foursquare.
- RISE IN
OPTIMISM: U.S. travelers now embrace a more positive view of the
world - no doubt another reason for their renewed interest in
rediscovering the emotional benefits of travel. Specifically,
significantly more leisure travelers now say they are extremely/very
optimistic about “their own future,” “the future of their children,”
“their jobs,” “their companies” and “the world in general” than just
two years ago.
The MMGY Global/Harrison Group 2012
Portrait of American Travelers is a national survey of 2,527
U.S.
households. The results provide a detailed examination of the impact of
the
current economic environment, social values and emerging media habits
of
Americans with an annual household income of $50,000 or more who have
taken at
least one overnight trip of 75 miles or more from home during the
previous 12
months.
For more
information about these insights, other industry research, to order a
report or
a custom subset analysis, visit http://www.mmgyglobal.com.
MMGY
Global
is a $150 million integrated global marketing firm with more than 35
years of
experience in the travel, hospitality and entertainment industries. For
more
information, visit www.mmgyglobal.com.
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