Study: Leisure travel up despite weakening US economy
Two out of three Americans plan to spend at least as much on leisure travel in the coming year despite any gloomy economic forecasts, reveals a new study.
“The survey also shows serious interest in new niche travel such as adventure and volunteer trips,” says the study by Deloitte.
The vast majority of respondents, 95%, say they have taken a leisure/vacation trip in the last year, reveals the survey.
“Many of these trips could be part of emerging niche travel segments,” said Adam Weissenberg, Deloitte’s U.S. Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure Leader.
Almost half say they would like to, or currently do, take “adventure travel” trips, and more than one quarter would like to, or already do, participate in volunteer travel.
“The travel landscape is clearly evolving,” said Mr Weissenberg. “As the Baby Boomers retire and Gen Y comes of age, different tastes and interests are emerging and niche travel markets are going mainstream. These trends are contributing to the overall growth of a strong tourism industry – while also presenting many challenges and opportunities for hospitality companies and other industry participants.”
He noted the upcoming holiday season will be one beneficiary of this trend: almost two-thirds plan to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, with almost one-third taking two or more trips during this period, which represents an increase over last year’s holiday season.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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