Wednesday, October 2, 2013

More travelers, but still tight budgets, says MMGY Global

The Resort Trades October 2, 2013 news reports:
2013 Portrait of American Travelers® Reveals Increase in Travel
Intentions, But Continued Caution About Household Budgets (October 2,
2013)
82 Percent of Active Travelers Planning to Take the Same or More Trips in the Year Ahead
    ORLANDO – Americans intend to take as many or more vacations during the coming year as they did last year, although their list of preferred destinations is smaller and they remain cautious about discretionary expenditures. This is according to the newly released MMGY Global/Harrison Group 2013 Portrait of American Travelers®.
The survey revealed a three percent increase in active travelers planning to “take more trips in the year ahead” (now 18 percent of all travelers), while two thirds (64 percent) of travelers are planning to take the same number of trips this year as they did last year. This compares with 15 percent who are planning to “take fewer trips.” And notwithstanding their concern about household budgets, leisure travelers in all annual household income segments expect to spend slightly more on travel/vacations in 2013 than they did in 2012, a good sign that travel continues to be a priority for Americans when they think about their discretionary spending.
While the recession technically ended in June 2009, Americans’ travel behavior reflects a lingering concern about the impact of the Great Recession on consumer spending, both discretionary and otherwise. Specifically, six in 10 travelers are still looking closely at every spending category, including travel services, seeking ways they can save.
The level of interest in visiting several popular domestic destinations is also flat or has declined. Travelers are interested in visiting approximately 10 percent fewer destinations now than in 2012.
“Technological advances and additional sources of information are also factoring heavily into the decision-making process, as travelers are attempting to make smarter choices, seeking better value and good deals,” explains Steve Cohen, vice president of Insights at MMGY Global, an integrated marketing firm that specializes in the travel industry. “But we are encouraged to see that travelers are planning to spend more on travel and vacations, and that 82 percent are planning to take as many or more trips in the coming year as they did in the previous year.” 

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