It is 2005, but don’t blink, because it will be 2010 before you know it. You’ll be older, wiser, and a key travel trend may have passed you by. The desires of consumers, the viability of our economy, and the business environment can change in an instant. The following is a sampling of travel research to help guide us and provide insight into today’s tourism industry:
Women Buyers
Sixty-four percent of women convert from researching a travel product or service to buying, versus 59 percent of men.
Business Travelers
The majority of business travelers are men at 57 percent. The average age of business trippers is 47, and their median annual household income is $48,100.
Comfort Travel
Travelers continue to clamor for pampering or wellness — a massage chair in their hotel room and in-room gyms are among the latest offerings.
Child’s Play
Many cities now see children’s museums as a magnet for tourism. The museums are increasingly joining the agenda for traveling families as something parents now look for when they travel.
Gen X Excess
Generation X now spends more per trip than the wealthier Baby Boomers. Last year, Xers — the 60 million Americans from age 25 to 40 — spent an estimated $2,140 per capita on overall travel. However, this age group is less brand loyal, less likely to call a travel agent, and less likely to plan far in advance.
Online Travel Spending to Increase
A record 32.1 million Americans will use the Internet to book travel in 2005, up from 29.4 million in 2004. Additionally, they are expected to spend more: $63.6 billion vs. $53 billion in 2004, a 20 percent increase.
Web Trends
Look for innovative websites to make it easier to book components such as airport transfers, sightseeing tours, prepaid dinner reservations and airline seats.
Airbus A380 is Coming
Airbus recently unveiled the largest passenger jet ever. It will be 80 feet tall, 262 feet wide, and will transport 840 passengers. The aircraft may include bedrooms, gyms, bars and lounges. The first flights are expected in March of next year and several airports are making major changes to accommodate this massive aircraft.
source: anaheim/orange county visitor & convention bureau
As we celebrate this magazine’s 30th Anniversary, and we sift through 184 issues of Showcase, Showcase International, and Travel Goods Showcase researching information for our three-part series “30 and Counting,” we are reminded about how quickly time flies and how rapidly travel trends can change. As we’ve done for the last three decades, we are committed to bringing you the very latest industry information, travel trends and statistics so that you can plan for your company’s future. Here’s to many more milestone anniversaries (this issue marks my 100th as editor-in-chief) for all of us!
Editor-in-chief
Copyright © 2005. Travel Goods Association
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