Consumer Travel Attitudes Hit a High Note

U.S. Consumers’ Pro-Travel Attitude Surpass Pre-Recession Level
Americans now have even more positive feelings about both leisure and business travel than they did prior to the Great Recession, according to a new survey by the marketing firm travelhorizons™. The firm has tracked the attitudes of 2,300 active travelers quarterly since March 2007. According to findings from the Traveler Sentiment Index, finances have become less of a detriment to travel, while customer satisfaction levels with travel services have increased. The survey’s positive findings on business travel may signal the beginning of a robust recovery of demand for business travel services, barring any unforeseen disruption of the continued recovery of the U.S. economy, the report concluded. (See sidebar for more details.)

Africa and Costa Rica Rank Highest With ASTA Agents
Africa and Costa Rica were cited as the two top unique destination recommendations in a recent ASTA survey of member travel agents. Other destinations that ranked in the top five were Italy, Australia and Alaska. In ranking Africa first, agents cited the wildlife safari experience and diversity of cultures as the main draws. Costa Rica was praised for its beaches, rainforest, friendliness and affordability.  

UNWTO: Global Tourism Is on Upward Track
With an additional 39 million international tourists in 2012, global tourist arrivals surpassed 1 billion (1.035 billion) for the first time ever in 2012, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Last year’s total international tourist numbers were up from 996 million in 2011. The study projected a similar rate of increase for this year.

By region, prospects for 2013 are strongest for Asia and the Pacific (+5% to +6%), followed by Africa (+4% to +6%), the Americas (+3% to +4%), Europe (+2% to +3%) and the Middle East (0% to +5%).

China Overtakes Japan in Asia/Pacific Travel Market
Japan’s dominance as Asia/Pacific’s largest travel market has come to an end, with China now in the top spot, according to Japan’s Online Travel Overview, a new report from PhoCusWright.  Following more than a decade of economic stagnation, Japan’s recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been sluggish, and the country’s overall travel market growth will slow to 2% by 2015, according to the report. On the positive side, Japan’s online leisure/unmanaged business travel market, by far the region’s largest, is predicted to sustain double-digit growth through 2014.

“Japan’s travel industry has endured numerous challenges to growth for some time now, but the country’s substantial online travel market should not be written off,” said Douglas Quinby, senior director, research. “In fact, by 2015, the value of Japan’s online travel gross bookings will still be more than double that of China.”

The report noted that air is Japan’s fastest-growing travel segment, as the emergence of several low-cost airline carriers, some backed by local legacy players, helps to spur air travel demand. In the online arena, supplier websites – aided by low-cost carrier gains – will grow faster than online travel agencies through 2015.

Healthy Travel Habits More Stressful Than Airport Security
What could be a more difficult travel experience than going through airport security? According to a new report from TripIt, eating healthy and exercising while on the road are more stressful than anything airports can dish out. In the survey of frequent travelers, about 67% said exercising and eating healthy was either somewhat or very stressful, while 59% said the same of airport security. The respondents also ranked coming home to a to-do list (64%) as more stressful than airport security.

To help travelers exercise and eat healthy while on the road, TripIt recommends these tips:
•    Carry healthy, portable snacks, like whole almonds or a banana to curb cravings.
•    When ordering from a menu, substitute an appetizer or small plate for the entrée.
•    Opt to walk or take the stairs, instead of the people mover or escalator.
•    Aim to increase your steps with an activity tracker or app, and take the scenic route.
•    Ask the hotel concierge for a map of local running routes or trails.
•    Take advantage of hotels that loan guests workout gear, yoga mats or shoes.
•    Use the hotel room to do crunches, push-ups, and chair dips any hour of the day.

Expand Your Horizons
“If you hear about a new destination, look it up. After watching the Olympics, I looked up  a country that was named in the opening ceremony. As a result, I learned about a South Pacific island I hadn’t known about before. It’s important to do this because people are looking for the ‘what else’ in travel – they want the bragging rights to going somewhere nobody else has.” – Steve Gillick, CTM. Talking Travel