Travel PR companies tap into the latest trends and combine them with our expert knowledge when designing strategies for our PR clients. Surveys like the latest one from travel search engine momondo.com can help to shed some light on the subject.
The 2017 survey asked Americans what they want most from their vacations. Preferences shift from year to year, so this is a question that leaves many travel industry professionals scratching their heads. As one of the top luxury lifestyle PR agencies, we know how vital staying ahead of the curve is in a fiercely competitive marketplace. Therefore, there’s a lot that hotel entities and luxury brands can learn from the outcome of this poll.
Momondo asked 23,149 people from 23 countries about their travel habits. Data from more than 400 million searches was analyzed. This included statistics from 1,040 Americans matching the population of the US regarding age, gender, and geography.
The results are in, and include some surprising answers which can help you understand the US market better. Here’s a little tidbit to get things started. The survey revealed more than 25% of Americans prefer to spend their disposable income on traveling.
What Kind of Vacation Do Americans Want? Key Findings:
- Spouse is favorite travel companion — When asked who they wanted to travel with, 61% of Americans quizzed by momondo.com answered they prefer to go with their spouse/partner.
- Hotels are most popular accommodation choice — Hotels remain the number one choice of accommodation for the American market. The survey found 59% select hotels over online room/apartment rentals, guesthouses, homestays or any other kind of accommodation.
Our luxury brand marketing company, of which PR is a cornerstone, counsels clients on the best ways to maximize their appeal for guests. This data just goes to show that American travelers still want the personal service and amenities that only a hotel can provide.
- Long vacations — Perhaps surprisingly, the data revealed the typical duration of a vacation for Americans is 14 days – double the global average of just 7 days. As a travel PR company, we know this kind of insight is extremely useful when planning your marketing and PR campaigns.
- London and Barcelona are top overseas destinations — London is still the most searched-for international destination among Americans. The allure of its history, famous landmarks, shopping and unique charm keeps it firmly in the top spot. However, the number of searches for Barcelona are on the rise. Could this be the hottest new European destination of 2017…?
- Posting on social media while still exploring the destination — More than 75% of Americans hit up social media apps including Instagram and Facebook to share their latest vacation photos while they are still away. As a luxury lifestyle PR company with a portfolio of leading properties among our clients, we know how important it is to make your destination social media-friendly.
We counsel our clients on creating a strong online presence, and on how vital it is to ensure your property is listed on Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps, etc. so it is easily searchable (and taggable). It’s also important to have (or create) some visually-enticing points of interest for photos your guests can share on social media.
- Booking flights in advance — The survey found Americans buy their flight tickets an average of 71 days (two and a half months) in advance of their trip.
- Booking accommodation soon before departing — While Americans like to plan ahead for flights, we book hotels at inbound destinations just over three weeks (22 days) before leaving. When traveling overseas we usually book a month and a half (44 days) before departure.
- Saving cash on cuisine — Interestingly, America was the only country out of the 23 quizzed by the travel search engine to list meals and snacks as the area they prefer to save money on most while on vacation.
Perhaps this indicates Americans would rather splurge on their hotel accommodation instead. There could also be scope for creating dining discounts or other incentives in the Food and Beverage arena.