Hello again Santabarbara!
Below you will find the results of my research regarding Baby Boomer
Travelers, Group Travel and the Motor Coach industry.
Where are boomers going?
Baby Boomers are the demographic group who travels most often.
?A Travel Industry Association study showed that Baby Boomers take
nearly half of all household trips out of town every year.?
Popular Destinations:
?Costa Rica is big among Baby Boomers seeking beautiful terrain and
unique eco-adventure travel. Trips to the South Pacific, visiting
Australia and New Zealand, are also in demand for their beaches, water
sports, interesting habitat and easily understood culture.?
Cruises
?For the health and fitness focused Baby Boomer, extended-service spas
and comprehensive exercise and wellness programs are a big draw on
today?s popular ships.?
?The Caribbean and Alaska are among the most-visited destinations,
with home cruise ports reporting increased passenger travel during the
past year. Cruise lines are banking on this continued prosperity, and
the Baby Boomer traveler. 2004 shows promise of new ships with
enhanced amenities and services, and more and diverse home cruise
ports designed to keep us sailing.?
?Baby Boomers also seek warm weather when traveling.?
?.. Since the school calendar is no longer dictating vacation plans,
empty nesters are advised to pick non-peak travel dates for the best
deals and selection available.?
All-Travel
http://www.all-travel.com/media_col30.html
Baby boomers are traveling with their children
?Another trend, she said, is that many baby boomers are traveling with
their children in mind more than themselves. Furthermore, the old
notion of going back to the same retreat, year in and year out, is
fading with the younger generations?
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/news/stories/20030417/localnews/134404.html
According to Donna Russo, a travel agent at WorldTek Travel in New
Haven, baby-boomers are taking the whole family - children and
grandchildren - on vacations.
Excerpt:
"I'm finding out they're not doing the two vacations per year like
they used to - the weekend vacation by themselves and then the kids
and the family on another vacation," says Russo. "They're doing one
big trip with the family, all-inclusive."
?Last winter, Russo reports, many boomers flocked to Punta Cana, a new
all-inclusive resort on the east side of the Dominican Republic. "It's
all inclusive and great for kids," she says.?
Another popular area is the Riviera Maya, outside of Cancun, Mexico.
Russo says boomers are still taking a lot of cruises. Traveling
directly to the islands - the Bahamas and the Caribbean islands in
particular - on the other hand, is not as wildly popular as it once
was.?
"I do see a drop in travel to Europe, too," Russo notes. "The people
still going to Europe are well-traveled. They've been there three or
four times and they're not afraid to go."
Business New Haven: 10/18/2004
http://www.conntact.com/article_page.lasso?id=38354
==========================================
Spending
?Baby Boomer travelers are also the most affluent, with 44 percent
having an annual income of $75,000 or more, much higher than any other
age group. Not surprisingly, Baby Boomers spend more on their trips
than other age groups, averaging $491 per trip, excluding
transportation to their destination. Fourteen percent spend $1,000 or
more on a trip, excluding cost of transportation.?
?As expected, many (31%) trips taken by Baby Boomer households include
at least one child.?
Favorite Baby Boomer Vacation Activities
Shopping
31%
Outdoor activities
16%
Visiting historical places/museums
13%
Going to the beach
10%
Attending cultural events/festivals
9%
Visiting national and state parks
8%
Source: Travel Industry Association of America (TIA)
Orlando Info
http://www.orlandoinfo.com/cvbnew2/members/enewsletter_87
?The TIAA further reports that baby boomers spend more on their trips
than any other age group. This level of spending is a hallmark of this
segment ? with disposable income in their pockets, baby boomers are an
attractive target for marketers.?
Burst Media
http://www.burstmedia.com/release/advertisers/online_insights/may_2003.pdf
?For example, if your constituency is primarily older baby boomers and
empty nesters, they spend more on vacations than other groups. Gen
Xers and younger baby boomers spend more on personal services.?
http://www.develop-net.com/adv-0802.html
==========================================
What about the future of boomer travelers?
Over the next two decades, the post-50 generation (don't ever call
them "seniors") will be the major force pushing travel and tourism
numbers to all-time highs. They have changed every other economic and
business dynamic in the U.S. for the past 50 years, so is it any
surprise that this population will change travel industry dynamics for
years to come??
"Baby Boomers, - that is the largest segment of the market. They have
a pent up desire to travel, are armed with plenty of money, and like
to travel with friends, family, and other people with whom they share
common interests.?
OSSN E-agent Newslette: February 2003
http://www.ossn.com/newsletter/february03.htm
"Personal escorted travel is a trend that's growing, especially among
baby boomers," observed Lonsbary, who acknowledged that the downturn
in the economy had slowed some segments of the travel market. "People
are still investing in high-end travel, though - the type of travel
where someone else does the driving and worries about the vehicle," he
noted. "I'm finding that the people who are attracted to what we offer
want to be separated from the masses and in charge of their own
itinerary."
Specialty Travel
http://www.specialtytravel.com/stories/stories.cgi?id=11761
==========================================
Baby Boomers will be traveling more and will not be staying home.
?As Baby Boomers approach their golden years, facing an empty nest and
more free time, many are turning to travel for fun.?
?Amazing how it works, the kids finally graduate college, and
hardworking parents suddenly find themselves with increased disposable
income to spend on themselves. Still youthful and healthy, many Baby
Boomers are deciding not to wait until retirement to see the world.
They?ve worked hard for years, now it?s time to play hard, or take a
vacation.?
All-Travel
http://www.all-travel.com/media_col30.html
"Winnebagos and other recreational vehicles are expected to sell at
their highest levels in 25 years in 2003 as baby boomers retire and
more Americans opt to travel in the United States, according to an
industry study."
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/4741005.htm
==========================================
Boomers and Motor Coaches
?The large baby boomer market is very enticing to the motorcoach
industry, and Wigley is not alone in wondering how coaches can
possibly appeal to a highly independent and mobile generation. Not
only are operators fighting a public perception that buses and
motorcoaches are an undesirable way to travel, they are trying to sell
to a group that wants to experience a destination or trip on their own
terms. "They (baby boomers) look at more that it's going to restrict
their ability to make choices. They want to experience the things they
like, not the things that someone else is telling them they're going
to like," says Wigley.?
Bus Ride Magazine - February 2004
http://www.busride.com/2004/02/Coaches_among_the_cacti.asp
"Our population is aging. The baby boomers are aging and when I look
at that segment in our area, it's great for bus tours because our
target market is people that are 60 to 80 years old. It seems that
population group is active, and healthier than they've ever been. They
are more willing to do things than they've ever been and they seem to
have the income to support their desires to see the country."
While some operators say it is difficult to get baby boomers onto
motorcoaches, Connor is confident his company can do it. "We are in a
unique part of the country. I imagine West Coast baby boomers are used
to having their own car, but here in the Midwest we live in a much
more community-oriented culture where people are used to doing things
together," he says. "They go to the firehall or the local civic
activities, belong to civic organizations, and they belong to the
Farmer's Union."
Bus Ride Magazine - November 2003
http://www.busride.com/2003/11/Wings_and_Wheels.asp
?The weekend motorcoach tour, for instance, now mainly serves elderly tourists.
"The boomers are not going to get on that bus," Vecchio said. They
don't want to travel with strangers. This entire industry is going
through an evolution."
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/news/stories/20030417/localnews/134404.html
==========================================
Group Travel
Group travel is showing signs of recovery in the last part of 2003,
and members of the travel industry are optimistic about having a good
2004.
A 4 to 5 percent growth is projected for 2004, if nothing unforeseen occurs.
?The growth is coming in the family reunion and youth travel segments
and not in senior groups.?
Group Traveler
http://www.grouptravelleader.com/12_2003/2004growth.html
-----------------------------------------------------
Group Travel Destination Trends
Premier Tourism Marketing announced the results of an on-line reader
survey that gauges destination trends for group travel planners.
?Cruises toped the survey, with 43% of respondents indicating are
planning a cruise vacation for their group, with another 11% still
considering a cruise.
In terms of domestic regions, the West Coast beat out the Northeast,
with 38% of groups planning to visit the West Coast versus 34% for the
Northeast. The Midwest came in third with 28% followed by Southeast
with 26%.
Internationally, Europe tied Mexico and the Caribbean with 28% of
groups planning on traveling to each of these regions through April
30th.?
Premier Tourism Marketing
http://www.premiertourismmarketing.com/press_room/pr20030716.html
-----------------------------------------------------
Conversations with group travel organizers have mirrored many trends.
?We?re finding more educated passengers, smaller group sizes,
overnight motorcoach tours flat to down, and air tours generally up,
with a keen desire to experience new destinations with more free time
given for relaxation and individual exploring? Experiences such as
attending a special event, festival or lecture continue to produce
impressive numbers.?
Leisure Group Travel
http://www.leisuregrouptravel.com/archives/June2002/Pulse_of_Market.pdf
-----------------------------------------------------
Religious Group Travel
According to Premier Tourism Marketing this religious group travel
market is expanding and is showing no sign of slowing down.
?The scope of this market is immense. There are over 450,000 churches
in the United States, about 50,000 of which are known to run group
travel programs. Compare this to the bank travel market, where there
is a total of roughly 10,000 community banks across the U.S., less
than 25% of them run any form of group travel.?
?According to Michael Harvey, Vice President and General Manager of
Omaha, NE based American Church Lists, the religious travel market is
in the midst of a healthy growth cycle. "We've seen a 20% increase in
the last 5 years of churches running travel programs. Youths and
seniors in particular, have greater incomes and desire to travel in
groups."
?Sectors include youth, pilgrimage, missionary and fellowship.?
(. . .)
?Pilgrimage/Reaffirmation - historically overseas to destinations such
as Israel, Greece and Italy have dominated this market, but due to
world conditions, a larger shift to domestic destinations is
underway.?
Special Report on the Religious Group Travel Market
http://www.premiertourismmarketing.com/fyi/religious.html
-----------------------------------------------------
Branson, MO, has become a hot stop for coach tours for the past 10 years.
?It's a relatively small town, nestled in the heart of the Ozark
Mountains about 40 miles south of Springfield, MO, and 200 miles from
St. Louis. This small town has seen an unprecedented rise in travel
and tourism, and has consistently been named a top destination by
groups such as the American Bus Association and National Tour
Association?
Branson is a new destination for student group travel.
?While Disney World and other large theme parks might easily come to
mind for student group travel, Michel says more and more operators are
booking clients for Branson trips. In 2003, more than 30,000 students
visited the city. "Our objective is to grow the student market from
30,000 to 100,000 in four years."
Bus Ride Magazine - March 2004
http://www.busride.com/2004/03/A_destination_FOR_ALL_seasons.asp
-----------------------------------------------------
Facts and Figures
- ?Motorcoaches move 860 million pax each year - more than any
airline, train or other carrier combined.
- Motorcoach industry supports 200,000 jobs.
- 90% of motorcoach companies are small business - 5 or less vehicles.
- Motorcoach market is broken down - 40% students, 40% seniors (50
plus) & 20% boomers.
- '03 motorcoach has the highest incidence of last minute travel in history.
- One overnight motorcoach trip is worth $5,000 - $11,000 to a community.?
Premier Tourism Marketing
http://www.premiertourismmarketing.com/press_room/fyi0903.html
-----------------------------------------------------
2001 Packaged Travel Study Illustrates Value of the Packaged Traveler
http://www.ntaonline.com/staticfiles/ptna_value.pdf
-----------------------------------------------------
The State of the Motorcoach Industry - 2004
?Those in the motorcoach and group travel industry are also feeling
the effects of state budget shortfalls, as states are increasingly
looking to the industry for increased revenues. Various states are
seeking to raise taxes on necessary items for the industry such as
gasoline and vehicle registration, as well as hotel rooms and
restaurant meals. All of this is detrimental for the industry, as it
makes group travel costlier.?
(?)
?In cities like Washington, DC, a popular tourist destination that
benefits from more than 1,000 motorcoaches each day in the city during
peak tourist season, spring 2003 was disappointing, as the average
number of motorcoaches bringing groups to the city totaled roughly 200
a day. However, motorcoach operators and travel representatives are
reporting encouraging bookings for the 2003 Winter and Holiday season
and are optimistic about strong bookings for Spring 2004 travel.?
(?)
New Opportunities
?? the group travel industry is poised to increase ridership from the past
few years. As a result of the lack of travelers earlier this decade,
motorcoach operators have been forced to look to new markets and
services. Many operators nowoffer broad travel packages that appeal to
a wide range of interests, instead of a one size- fits-all approach.
Operators are also looking to their equipment and in some cases
terminals, and identifying ways to enhance the experience for the
traveler. In the scheduled service and commuter arenas, some operators
are offering ?upscale? services for their customers, providing a
comparable alternative to air or rail travel.?
?Some of these enhancements include concierge services at terminals,
food and beverage services and computer hook ups on the motorcoach,
leather seating and more. Travel destinations are also looking at new
and different ways to lure travelers. Destinations in some areas of
the country, for example, have had success in ?city pairings? where a
themed tour visits several destinations in a region.?
American Bus Association
http://www.buses.org/pressroom/StateofIndustry2004-2.pdf
-----------------------------------------------------
The Economic Impact of Bus Tours
?The American Bus Association commissioned The George Washington
University to explore precisely how much of overall tourism revenues
earned by destinations came in via motorcoach group or tour. The
six-month project surveyed motorcoach operators, local travel
businesses, overnight tour passengers, single-day charter passengers
and scheduled intercity bus passengers in three destinations:
Washington, D.C., Lancaster, Pa., and New York City.?
Depending on the type of destination visited:
?A visit by a one-day motorcoach group leaves from $2,536 to $4,563 in
a destination's economy.
A visit by an overnight motorcoach tour group leaves from $5,094 to
$11,264 in a destination's economy.
A visit by a two-night or more motorcoach tour group leaves from
$9,021 to $16,080 in a destination's economy.?
Read more here:
http://www.buses.org/economic/
More passengers travel by motorcoach by any other commercial mode.
(ABA's Motorcoach Census 2000, U.S. Department of Transportation's
National Transportation Statistics 1999)
http://www.buses.org/industry/passengers.gif
-----------------------------------------------------
Groople Automates Group Travel Online
?A new group travel website called Grooplewww.groople.com/ was
recently launched. It is focused on the consumer who wants to book
groups (weddings, reunions,etc) and looks to become a big player in
the group travel market segment by servicing a previously ignored
niche: the unmanaged consumer leisure group travel.?
Blizzard Internet Marketing Newsletter: July 2004
http://newsletter.blizzardinternet.com/july-04.asp
?At Groople, consumers see the group inventory that the hotel or other
supplier dynamically manages on the back end, allowing groups to take
advantage of discounts quickly and easily while giving suppliers the
representation they require to accommodate group bookings.?
?Groople is primed to become the industry?s largest automated solution
for unmanaged group leisure travel, a market estimated at $18 billion
to $24 billion.?
Hotel Online: July 2004
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_3rd/Jul04_Groople.html
-----------------------------------------------------
According to a Premier Tourism Marketing Poll, the market that is
poised for the greatest growth is:
Sports
International Inbound
Mature - Reunion (tie)
Religious
Student
http://premiertourismmarketing.com/press_room/fyi1103.html
-----------------------------------------------------
See results from a 2002 study conducted by Premier Tourism Marketing
publications regarding the group market here:
http://www.premiertourismmarketing.com/press_room/pr20021215.html
-----------------------------------------------------
Search criteria.
Baby Boomers Travel Industry
Baby Boomers Tourism Market
Baby Boomers Motor coach
Group Travel Market
Group Travel Industry OR trends
I hope this is helpful.
Best regards,
Bobbie7 |
