News articles in Consumer Behaviour

New Bill Aims to Strip Delinquent Taxpayers of Their Passports.

(Dive Travel Business News - April 11, 2012) -- Observers are questioning the potential effect of a recently passed U.S. Senate bill that has a provision to authorize the "denial, revocation or limitation of a passport" for individuals with a seriously delinquent tax debt. The new piece of governance has caused further confusion since it is buried on page 1147 of a bill designed to reauthorize federal aid for the nation's highways. read more »

AMEX Survey Says - More Americans Plan to Spend More Money on Travel.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 13, 2012) -- The latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker indicates that Americans are planning on fixing up their homes or hitting the road.

According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents plan to spend more on travel and vacations this year. Most leisure travelers (77 percent) will fly to their destination and 27 percent say they’ll be on a plane more often than last year. Virtually all Young Professional leisure travelers will fly to their destination this year (94 percent). Nearly half (48 percent) say they will fly more often than last.

Half of all Americans plan to travel within the 50 states, 22 percent will venture abroad, 41 percent will choose a beach vacation to soak in the sun and 20 percent will hit the high-seas by taking a cruise.

Thirty-five percent say they’re optimistic about their finances in the year ahead. read more »

Controversy Expands As Online Review Sites Become More Popular.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 15, 2011) --

With the growing popularity and influence of social media and online review sites, more consumers are using these sites as resources when booking their travel. According to a new study by Mondial Assistance, USA, 60% of consumers now say they consider travelers’ online reviews when booking a vacation. TripAdvisor, whose tagline is "Get the truth. Then Go", has become the world's biggest travel site, with more than 50 million reviews, all written by consumers.

"In these tough economic times, consumers want assurance that if they are going to spend on travel, they are selecting the best experiences, and reviews from peers and colleagues act as a security blanket for uncertain travelers," said Daniel Durazo, director of communications for Mondial Assistance. read more »

For a Better Dive Vacation, Don't Sleep on the Wrong Side of the Hotel Bed.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 6, 2012) -- The old saying goes that someone is grouchy because he or she "slept on the wrong side of the bed". And according to new research from Premier Inn, there actually is a “wrong side” of the bed.

If you take this latest research to heart, you will have a happier day of diving, if you have a tendency to migrate to the left side of the bed. According to the study of 3,000 adults by Premier Inn, those who sleep on the left generally more cheerful, but they are also more positive and capable of tackling heavy workloads and a stressful day ahead and are in fact far better off than their ’right’ counterparts. If you are planning a day of shark diving, deep wreck or high current - and you want to be happy and alert - take heed.

"The research clearly indicates a pattern between which side of the bed you sleep on and the mood you wake up in,” said Claire Haigh, a spokeswoman for Premier Inn. read more »

Young Affluent Travelers Don't See Luxury Like Boomers

Millennial Luxury Travelers not the fly and flop generation.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 3, 2012) -- A new generation of travel buyers is embracing definitions of luxury that pose significant challenges to how luxury has been viewed and presented. But simply knowing the values and preferences of this new generation of high-end traveler is not making it easy to actually accommodate them.

Suppliers and buyers alike are beginning to realize that travelers younger than the 45- to 55-year-olds who make up the bulk of the market bring with them a different set of standards than their elders. Such travelers are concerned less with opulence and pampering and more with value, authenticity and truly local experiences. They know much more about travel, the destination and what they want from the experience.

For younger, wealthier travelers it's not about ‘fly and flop.’ It’s about ‘find and seek.’ They are looking for one-of-a-kind, nature-based experiences that tried and true luxury brands don't normally accomodate a more modern, less traditional sense of luxury. They are less awed by legacy luxury brands like Astoria, Fairmont and Four Seasons. read more »

Consumption and Trust in Online/Offline Travel Info Varies by Age Survey Says

(Dive Travel Business News - October 24, 2011) -- The young have a different perspective on life in general than their elders, and this distinction carries through to the consumption -- and trust in -- travel information. Different generations trust different sources for information about destinations and travel suppliers, according to the Ypartnership/Harrison Group 2011 Portrait of American Travelers.

Younger members of society consume media differently than their older counterparts. Message credibility also varies by medium across each of the major generational clusters. This is particularly true when it comes to the use of online information sources.

When considering vacation destinations, input from family and friends still holds the most weight among all consumer groups, regardless of age. Approximately four out of five American travelers have the highest degree of confidence in personal recommendations. read more »

People "Spending on their Passions" Leisure Trends Group Outdoor RetailTRAK™ Survey Says.

(Dive Travel Business News - October 22, 2011) -- Preliminary Outdoor RetailTRAK™ data from Leisure Trends Group report that core outdoor retail sales totaled approximately $462M this September, a full $62M more dollars and a solid 17% increase over September 2010.

"This is the strongest September on record since Leisure Trends Group began tracking Outdoor Sales in 1998" states Senior Retail Analyst, Scott Jaeger, who has been with the firm since 1999.

Outdoor chain stores, with over $213M in sales surged a healthy 18% and specialty stores, jumping 20% to roughly $163M in retail sales, had their best September in at least a decade. Online retailers, growing 10%, sold nearly $86M worth of outdoor products this September.

Easily outpacing "a better-than-expected" 5.7% increase for retail sales as reported by the National Retail Federation , the 17% September surge for outdoor retailers point to a committed constituency of outdoor participants and shoppers undeterred by still uncertain economic conditions. read more »

Sharp Decline in Premium Airline Passenger Segment

(Dive Travel Business News - October 20, 2011) -- An unexpectedly strong third quarter for premium air travel fell sharply in August according to the International Air Transport Association. The level of premium passengers in August was just 2.3 percent higher than last year, compared to 7.5 percent in July. The drop in premium passenger travel, which represents primarly business travel, was larger than the fall in economy travel, which declined from 5.5 percent to 3.8 percent. read more »

Latest Results in from American Express Spending & Saving Tracker

American Express Spending & Saving Tracker: Holiday spending trending upward

(Dive Travel Business News - October 18, 2011) -- With the U.S. holiday season beginning with American Thanksgiving in November, the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker Survey has been released. According to the new study, holiday travel will remain flat from 2010 with three in ten Americans planning to travel this upcoming holiday season. However, the survey also indicates holiday travel spending will rise about 8 percent this year, with forty-two per cent of travelers expecting to increase their holiday travel budget compared to last year. The average family of four intends to spend $2,636 on holiday travel, or $659 per person, an increase of nearly $200 from last year.

Survey results show 21 percent are taking a longer trip, 19 percent are staying in better accommodations and 17 percent are traveling with more people. Twelve percent are choosing a more-expensive destination and 6 percent are flying first or business class. read more »

Travel Providers Turn to Travel Blogging to Make Connections.

(Dive Travel Business News - September 26, 2011) -- Travel blogs have become widespread in the last five years due to plethora of experiences and specialist areas available amongst the travelling public and writers. Blogs have also become an important tool for travel companies,particularly within the social media arena and the need for content-driven interaction.

Such is the blog’s significant growth in recent years that conferences dedicated to the subject are held annually, with even WTM getting in on the act this year in its Social Travel Mart fringe conference. But while we leave the discussion to those involved, travel companies are waking up to the power of blogs and the personal edge it can give a brand. read more »