While seemingly more important questions dominate the current dialogue among tour and travel industry leaders in the UK, the private sector keeps churning out the results of “boutique” surveys that should enable tour operators and other travel sellers to sharpen their sales and marketing tools.
The latest comes in the results of a pair of surveys, with the key findings indicating that families are a very lucrative market segment—more so than thought before—and that millennials are looking to travel to exotic, far-off places … but not that far-off. A re-cap of the key findings from the two surveys follows.
- In the first study—a nationwide survey of 2,000 adults by Piper, a leading specialist investor in consumer brands—it was found that:
—Thirty-seven percent of travelers are adventurous with their travel choices, and 45 percent of these travelers are millennials.
—UK travelers tend to go to attractions visited by fewer tourists.
—While Brits desire unusual escapades, they will not go so far that they will have no access to internet, with 69 percent of these travelers checking their mobile devices at least once a day.
—One out of four (25 percent) of millennials check their devices “at least every hour.”
—About one out of every eight (12 percent) are unable to disconnect, requiring “24/7” connectivity.
—Millennials want Wi-Fi access for their social media accounts to post updates from their travel. (Yet another survey revealed that 97 percent of millennial travelers post on social networks and share experiences while travelling.)
—Millennials tend to avoid travel agents and book their flights and accommodations online; they search for itineraries online, as well as for transportation—either for booking transportation or using the GPS and online maps.
Natalie Thwaites, associate partner at Piper, said: “Despite the economic uncertainty, these findings have shown that holidays remain essential for UK consumers. The appetite for adventure is particularly interesting and consistent with the rise of the experiential consumer in other sectors.”
- In the second study—study commissioned by the tour operator Ocean Florida covering 1,130 adults—it was revealed that people with children are more likely to take multiple holidays a year. Specific findings include the following:
—More than a third (34 percent) of families take two holidays a year vs. 28 percent of households without children.
—While it is generally thought that millennials have more disposable income and time, it is not always being spent on holidays, according to the study.
—The research found that 16 percent of people in the UK are splurging between £3,000-£10,000 ($3,830-$14,050) on their summer getaway.
—A third of those aged 25 to 34 take five to six months to save for holidays, with 23 percent indicating that it took three to four months and 13 percent saying it was one to two months.
—Families are more likely to save over a longer period of time. One quarter (26 percent) said it took five to six months, followed by 21 percent saying it took 11 to 12 months with 18 percent saying it only took them three to four months.
—Those without children are spending more on holiday accessories. Not quite a third (30 percent) of child-free respondents spent between £101-£250 ($130-$319), as opposed to only a quarter of those with children.
