Survey predicts US travel jump
They still call themselves “value-minded,” but in a survey released by American Express, American travellers seem to be thinking big when it comes to going places.
Travelers said they planned to spend an average of $2,962 on aifrare, accommodations and other expenses in 2004—which is almost $800 more than in 2003.
The number of travelers planning to spend $5,000 on long vacations in 2004 nearly doubled over last year, to about 11% of those surveyed.
And air travel: 55% of those surveyed said they were planning a domestic or international flight, compared to 44% the previous year.
Airlines? Good news for JetBlue, Southwest and Song, which drew the likelihood of bookings by three-quarters of those surveyed.
Even more immediate: more than a quarter of Americans plan to travel before the new year, particuarly during holidays, the survey found.
Top destinations: Honolulu, Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas and Mami were rated the top destinations for the rest of the year in a survey by AmEx travel agents.
Hawaii also tops the list of US destinations in 2004. Agents said they expected Hawaii, Alaska, Las Vegas, New York City and Orlando to be the top destinations next year.
One trend cited by Cynthia Valles, senior vice president in AmEx’s Consumer Travel Network, is that area efforts at family focused programs have become crucial to attracting tourists. She said many travelers are now planning trips far from home for the first time since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The survey also showed that while 45% of travelers said they used the internet to plan trips, the majority said they still prefer to book outings over the phone or through a travel agent.
Said Rocco Laterzo, a senior vice president at AmEx: “It appears that consumer confidence is a little stronger.”
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