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Survey reveals importance of traveling with family and friends
According to a recent survey of over 2,000 adults by the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), a major vacation goal in 2010 is to spend time with friends and family. In fact, 60 percent of vacationers polled ranked it as the most important travel goal.
Relaxation ranked second in importance, while seeing new sites ranked third. This list has changed significantly since 2009, when friends and family were ranked second in importance, while affordability was the No. 1 most sought-after vacation quality.
This change is a hopeful sign for the travel industry’s economic recovery, since affordability does not seem to be as major a concern as it was only one year ago. With fewer worries about spending too much, travelers may be more apt to take more costly vacations.
Sixty percent of Americans plan to take a vacation in 2010, and 60 percent of those vacationers said they would consider taking a tour. The most important reason they listed for taking a tour was the convenience of having everything arranged, which 40 percent chose as their top motivating factor. One out of three of those polled said their reason for taking a tour would be to save money.
“The potential to take a tour is clearly there,” said John Stachnik, USTOA chairman. “In 2008 and 2009, 60 percent of respondents believed that vacation packages offered more value, but only 6 percent said they would take a packaged tour to save money. Clearly, our mission is to convert that potential into sales, and this is where we need the help of the travel agent community.”
However, over 80 percent of all respondents plan their own travel arrangements themselves. This is a slight increase from 2008 and 2009, when an estimated 75 percent of Americans chose to book their own vacations.
For more information on this and other travel surveys, visit www.ustoa.com.
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