Industry Statistics

(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 »

(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 »

(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.

(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 »

(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.

(Dive Travel Business News - April 25, 2011) -- Despite predictions that the demise of the travel profession is all but arrived, travel professionals are experiencing an unprecedented come-back.  With natural disasters causing flight cancellations, revolutions putting tourist destinations off limits, and airline and rental car agencies confounding travelers with increasingly complex fees, vacations are becoming increasingly difficult to plan and execute.  On top of this, the Internet generates so much information that it has managed to confuse consumers trying to plan their own vacations.

A recent article in The Washington Post touts consumers are increasingly turning to travel professionals to handle their travel needs. Travelers are on information overload when it comes to planning their own trips. A study by Forrester Research found that the number of leisure travelers who enjoyed using the Web to plan and book their vacations dropped from 53 percent in 2007 to 47 percent in 2010. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 29, 2011) -- According to Leisure Trends Group's April 2011 LeisureTRAK® Study, Americans have had it with hanging around the house. This summer 57% of American households say they will pack up and head out. While one in four have specific plans, a full 31% intend to take a vacation but have not made specific plans. Twenty-three percent are undecided about whether or not to take a summer vacation.  Younger Americans are especially determined to get up and go this summer.  Seventy-one percent have either specific or still-forming vacation plans. read more »

(Dive Travel Business - May 13, 2011) -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) released preliminary figures for international visitor arrivals to the Asia and Pacific region for the first quarter of 2011. The results show a year-on-year increase of 5 percent. The sharp fall in arrivals to Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, coupled with the decline in arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa, contributed to the subdued 3 percent growth seen for the whole region in March. International visitor arrivals to South Asia grew by 10 percent in March and 13 percent in the first quarter. All the leading destinations in the Indian-subcontinent -- India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- reported double-digit growth for the quarter.

(Dive Travel Business News - March 29, 2011) -- "Heat from the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective in Air Travel" a new study released by travel industry research firm PhoCusWright,  reveals that less than half of U.S. air travelers feel positive about their airline experiences. While traveler attitudes toward airlines are lukewarm overall, consumers report feeling worse about their airline experiences versus a few years ago, PhoCusWright says. Consumer attitudes towards their air travel experiences have soured over the same period that airlines have added baggage fees and other new charges.

PhoCusWright found that 38% percent of leisure-only U.S. travelers feel slightly or substantially worse about their airline experiences compared to a few years ago, while just 13% feel slightly or substantially better. read more »