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Myrna Marofsky
Everyone knows that the economy is a mess. We all feel it in various ways. Interestingly the latest forecast from the Travel Industry Association (TIA) indicates that travel isn't stopping, but how we travel is changing. Not only are travelers changing their behaviors, suppliers are changing their offerings. More discounts, easier cancellation policies, more advertising, shorter cruises and shorter stays. According to Dr. Peter Yesawich, Chairman of Ypartnership, an expert in travel marketing, "The results corroborate what we have been preaching now for several months: American travelers are trading down, but not out."
According to the TIA study, the biggest hit is in business travel, where "luxury" is gone. Surprisingly they predict that leisure travel will decline modestly with most of those surveyed saying they are not changing their future plans.
Those driving the travel industry today are women, especially boomer women. Not only are they making the travel decision for the family (women make 85% of all consumer decisions) they are planning their own travel adventures. A survey done by AAA travel on women travelers shows that forty percent of American women plan to take a "Girls-Only" vacation soon. I'm sure our readers know exactly what these are. Friends escaping to wonderful places to relax, gab, learn, explore, and experience---and of course shop. The list of "Girls-Only" vacations keeps growing. They are not just spa retreats or cruises, but fabulous adventures for young and old. Web sites for solo women travelers or "girls" groups abound. They can be adventurous or low key.
Now let's remember the power of these WiseWomen on the travel industry. The impact on how the hospitality and travel industry respond to women can be profound.
"It is a time for women to bond by sharing common experiences and getting validation and acceptance from their female friends and family," reports the survey. And what do they talk about? The vast majority (79 percent) admitted that men or their significant other are the most frequently talked about topics.
Interesting facts about girlfriend getaways
• Most girlfriend getaways consist of 2-3 women (51 percent).
• Girlfriend getaways account for approximately four percent of all U.S. leisure travel spending.
• The leading reasons women gave for wanting to take the girlfriend getaway was to bond with friends or family (70 percent) and/or escape from their daily responsibilities (65 percent).
• The most popular activities while on a girlfriend getaway are dining out (86 percent), shopping (74 percent), spa (73 percent) and going to the beach or pool (70 percent).
• The most difficult aspects of planning a girlfriend getaway are finding a time that works for everyone (77 percent) and selecting a trip that fits everyone's budget (76 percent)
And here are a few more facts that could surprise you taken from USA Today travel, The Travel Industry Association and Gutsy Women Travelers.
-- Women are significantly more interested than men in visiting destinations
with beautiful scenery, theme parks, spa destinations and places they have
never been before.
-- Women express more interest in the experimentation, fantasy and ambiance
attributes associated with a travel destination.
-- When it comes to activities that interest women while traveling,
surprisingly, more women (57 percent) than men (50 percent) are interested in
visiting arts, architectural or historical sites.
-- Women are significantly more interested than men in the safety of their
vacation destination and hotel accommodations.
-- More than one-half of all weekend travelers are female, married, white and
have an annual household income of more than $50,000.
-- Similar to weekend travelers, 56 percent of extended travelers tend to be
women, versus only 46 percent of men.
-- Women are significantly more interested in all-inclusive vacations than men.
In 2001, 70 percent of women versus only 55 percent of men reported being
interested in an all-inclusive vacation that includes airfare, accommodations,
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