While the IPW focus on the growth markets of China, India and Brazil has been the event’s de facto number one story for the past five years, the familiar and mature (some might say “older”) markets of Western Europe still generate traffic in substantial numbers. In fact, the markets of France, Germany and the UK, combined, still send more than one out of every five (23 percent) overseas visitors to the USA each year.
In addition, the infrastructure and codes of doing business for the receptive tour operator industry in the United States—as well as that of the destinations, hoteliers and other travel supplies that service it—offers a degree of ease in doing business that is not yet available in most growth markets.
With the above factors as a context, Steve Paganelli, head of destination marketing, TripAdvisor ®, walked delegates to NAJ’s RTO Summit East last week in New York through a collection of the company’s data on the travel markets of France, Germany and the UK. Gleaned from data collected through the company’s TripBarometer surveys of more than 34,000 participants worldwide, the findings revealed such interesting points as: for German travelers, it is important that they “be the first” to find or visit a new destination, so that they call tell others about it; and travelers 65 and older spend more on their trips than do other demographic groups.
Also, timing is all-important in working the three markets, Paganelli told delegates. That is, in addition to introducing one’s product or destination to these markets, it is important to find the right time to make a specific “call to action” to any of these three markets by late winter or early spring. What this means, in practical terms, is that it is probably too late to generate any traffic from France, Germany or the UK for travel this year.
Following are some of the key data sets in tables assembled by Inbound Report, based on the numbers from TripAdvisor’s TripBarometer.
Who’s Planning a Trip and Where in 2016
| Country | Planning Domestic Leisure Trip | Planning International Trip |
|---|---|---|
| France | 90% | 90% |
| Germany | 82% | 96% |
| England | 89% | 92% |
| Source: TripBarometer, 2015. 2016 Travel Trends |
2016 Travel Spend by Age Group
(Plus Percentage Who Are Increasing Spend Over 2015)
| Age Group | France | Germany | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | $4,090 (26% will be increasing spend) | $4,456 (31% will be increasing spend) | $5,491 (41% will be increasing spend) |
| 35-64 | $6,129 (18% will be increasing spend) | $6,489 (25% will be increasing spend) | $8,468 (31% will be increasing spend) |
| 65+ | $7,195 (20% will be increasing spend) | $7,347 (18% will be increasing spend) | $9,628 (33% will be increasing spend) |
| Source: TripBarometer, 201. 2016 Travel Trends | |||
Reasons/Influences for Traveling to another Destination
| France | Germany | UK |
|---|---|---|
| The culture of that specific country (61%) | The culture of that specific country (57%) | Weather (72%) |
| Recommended by a friend/relative (22%) | To get a tan (31%) | Flight prices (65%) |
| Seen it in a documentary (20%) | Seen it in a documentary (26%) | Somewhere Ive never been (65%) |
| Hotel/accommodation special offer or package (18%) | A specific hotel/accommodation option (25%) | Accommodation prices (64%) |
| To get a tan (15%) | Recommended by a friend/relative (25%) | Having a travel companion (64%) |
| Seen it in a TV show (14%) | Hotel/accommodation special offer or package (22%) | Somewhere foreign/international (64%) |
| Source: TripBarometer, 2015. 2016 Travel Trends |
Key Take-Aways from Paganelli’s Presentation:
—European Markets continue to grow in visitation, but spending lags.
—Mexico, China, Japan, Brazil continue to be growth areas.
—Spending from France projected to grow least.
—The UK’s relatively strong economy continues to make it a powerhouse for USA travel.
—Planning for summer travel is most common in the 3-5 months prior to arrival.
—Branding efforts should be in-market 6-12 months by winter.
—Stronger Calls-to-Action needed from late-winter to early-spring.
—Cultural experiences tops for all age groups.
—Weather biggest influence for mature travelers.
—Though they spend the most, mature travelers motivated more than other categories by deals
—French are interested in assuming local lifestyle.
—After culture, shopping is highest motivator for Germans.
—Brits, like French, cite local lifestyle and beaches as significant motivators.
For more information, visit: www.tripdvisor.com/tripadvisorinsights
