Americans Planning Vacations, but Half Expect to Spend Less; Hotel
Brands Can Seize the Opportunity to Build Long-Term Customer Loyalty
NEW YORK, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- With Memorial Day as the kickoff to
the summer season, more Americans are taking some time to relax and refresh
with the economy only slightly impacting their summer travel plans,
according to a new study released today by Deloitte.
Nearly one-third (29 percent) of respondents are taking vacations this
Memorial Day weekend. This is up slightly from the 24 percent who said they
took a Memorial Day vacation last year.
In addition, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said they are taking a
summer vacation this year, although half of them said they will likely
change some aspect of the trip due to economic/financial concerns. The most
likely changes those consumers expect to make include: staying at less
expensive hotels (50 percent), spending less on eating (50 percent),
spending less on entertainment (46 percent), taking fewer trips (46
percent) and spending fewer nights away from home (45 percent).
"We are seeing less of the 'staycations' of 2008, when record gas
prices forced many Americans to take vacations close to home, or not to
take them at all," said Adam Weissenberg, Deloitte, US Tourism, Hospitality
and Leisure leader. "Whether traveling on Memorial Day or during the
summer, we are finding that Americans are planning to travel and take
advantage of incentives and good deals on room rates. Economic concerns,
however, have many travelers spending cautiously on accommodations and
other expenses. While travel spending will likely not be as strong as
several years ago, these survey results are a positive sign for the
industry."
Long-term Customer Loyalty: A Growth Opportunity for Hospitality
Segment
The survey showed that 69 percent of all respondents do not belong to
any hotel loyalty programs. Even among this year's summer vacationers, 61
percent have yet to sign up for a hotel loyalty program.
"Hospitality companies have a big opportunity this summer to develop
better customer relationships and build long-term loyalty," said
Weissenberg. "Hotel brands that can seize this opportunity will likely be
better positioned to retain and attract new guests as the market rebounds.
Successful programs are often based on a deep understanding of guests prior
to, during, and following their stays, and new approaches to building
long-term loyalty."
Sustainability Still Matters
Consumers are showing that environmental issues remain important to
them, despite today's economic challenges. Thirty-two percent of those
surveyed agreed that they expect the hotels they stay at to be
environmentally friendly, and 29 percent said they would like to know more
from hotels about their green efforts. Thirty-seven percent of consumers
said they are more aware of the environment than they were a year ago.
"As part of their efforts to build customer loyalty, hotel companies
should consider better communicating their sustainability initiatives to
consumers. While guests may never see some of these efforts, they do want
to know about property retrofits and other efforts to conserve water and
energy -- investments that are the backbone of many sustainability
programs. In addition to reducing operating costs for hotels in the
long-run, these efforts can help win the approval of customers, drive
revenues and satisfy increasing investor demands for sustainability
reporting and disclosure," added Weissenberg.
About the Survey
The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an
independent research company April 24-28, 2009. The survey polled a
nationally representative sample of 1,047 adult consumers. The survey has a
margin of error for the entire sample of +/- three percentage points.
About Deloitte
As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and Deloitte
Services LP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see
http://www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure
of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.
Contact: Christina Petroni
Hill & Knowlton
+1 212 885 0531
christina.petroni@hillandkowlton.com