Minneapolis --Jan 6, 2008-- Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates unveiled the 2008 results of their authoritative annual Travel Trends Survey in
which several surprises emerged. On the international front,
Mediterranean cruising leaped past favorites such as London, England;
Montego Bay, Jamaica; and several Mexican locations to take the #5 spot
among international destinations. While Las Vegas still comes up aces
as the top domestic destination for the sixth consecutive year,
Washington D.C. made the most impressive jump – up seven spots to #8 –
and Kauai moved up five spots to #9. Conducted November 26-December 19,
2007, the 2008 Travel Trends Survey includes responses from a record
555 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate owners, managers and frontline
travel experts throughout the United States—equivalent to more than one
completed survey for every single location in the network.
“This
year, more than ever, we’re seeing some exciting shifts in the travel
patterns of our clients,” stated Roger E. Block, CTC, executive vice
president of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Division.
“Obviously consumers are still finding value in traveling to Europe,
whether it’s a Mediterranean cruise, various Italian cities or even
London and Paris if planned through the guiding hand of our
value-conscious agents. Seven of the Top 20 international destinations
are European – meaning Carlson Wagonlit Travel experts are using their
considerable skills and resources to help travelers looking for
solutions on how best to stretch their dollars as far as possible.”
“Alaska
is another bright spot in the travel landscape – particularly for
cruising. For the first time ever in this survey, Alaska ranks as the
top cruise destination being booked so far for the New Year, beating
out its Caribbean competitors,” Block noted. “Whether it’s the vast
wilderness of Alaska or the hidden gems in Eastern Europe and Central
America – the top two ‘emerging destination’ regions in this year’s
survey – the fact that over 82% of our travel professionals told us
their bookings are equal to or greater than this time last year means
the public is not sacrificing travel. They’re seeking out our experts
to help make their dreams a reality.”
Top Vacation Destinations: U.S. and International
When asked to forecast the five
most popular U.S. destinations for 2008 based on actual bookings to
date, agent experts reported that Las Vegas retains its hold on the #1 spot with 71.5%, while Orlando was the bridesmaid for the 6th year in a row. Internationally, Caribbean cruising and Cancun, Mexico,
deliver the 1-2 punch for the second straight year among the most
popular international “destinations.” In fact, Caribbean cruising has
been named as the top international “destination” for five straight
years.
Also noteworthy:
Domestic Ups:
• Washington D.C.
jumped seven spots from #15 to #8. The upcoming Presidential elections
may have something to do with the renewed interest in our nation’s
capital. According to Houston-based Carlson Wagonlit Travel expert
Mike Weingart: “Washington always presents a good value with the
numerous museums that are free of charge. So, should people feel the
economy might be a little weaker, Washington is a good choice.”
• Kauai
moved back into the top ten this year, giving Hawaii three locations in
the domestic top ten rankings. According to Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s
Michele Keeley in Eden Prairie, MN: “I have been selling [Kauai]
strongly for several years now to honeymooners and more frequently to
those looking for soft adventure vacations. It offers a good value
compared with some destinations.”
International Ups and Downs:
• Mediterranean cruising
sailed into the top 5, gaining ground from 15th place in 2004 to 10th
place in 2007 to 5th place for 2008. Not only is there greater
inventory than ever before, many U.S. travelers are finding this is the
way to travel to Europe in order to get the most for their money as
possible. Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Pattie Fanta in Westlake, OH, said:
“With the dollar performing so poorly, we have been encouraging clients
who might have steered away from an expensive European vacation to book
a Mediterranean cruise – where your accommodations and meals are
‘fixed’ pricing and you can still visit major tourist attractions
throughout most of Europe while traveling with ease on the ship.”
Sondra Wilson of Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Richland, WA, agreed: “I
think it’s huge this year because there is still a desire to see
Europe, but people want their money protected.”
• In general, Europe’s popularity is not waning. In addition to Mediterranean cruising, this year’s survey saw Venice move up seven spots to #16; Florence/Tuscany took one step up to #14, London – a perennial top ten destination – gained one spot to #8. All the while, Rome held steady at #4, Paris came in at #13 and Frankfurt
jumped nine spots to #20 thus giving Europe seven of the Top 20
International destinations being booked by Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Associates.
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic,
slid from #6 to #9. Steve Phillips, a Carlson Wagonlit Travel expert
in Crystal, MN, commented: “Punta Cana continues to be a great value
for an all-inclusive destination. However, the American tourist is
used to a certain type of destination ... [with] some of the comforts
of home. The Dominican Republic has struggled to acquire and build an
infrastructure to support American tourists. Therefore after going
there once, clients are not as likely to want go back, even though they
feel they received great value for their vacation dollar.” Carlson
Wagonlit Travel’s Dave Hershberger of Cincinnati, OH, put it simply:
“Some of the ‘newness’ is wearing off.”
• “China Rising”- A continuing trend is the rise in China and its various cities in this survey. Beijing is the top 20 for the first time ever, ranked at #18. Hong Kong ranks at its highest ever, tying Athens for the #21 spot. Shanghaihas moved from 36th place two years ago up to 30th in 2008.
The
following lists display the top ten domestic and international
destinations for 2008, along with results from the 2007 survey
conducted one year ago.*
Top 10 Domestic Destinations: 2008
1 –Las Vegas, NV 71.5%
2 –Orlando, FL 63.6%
3 –Honolulu, HI 51.9%
4 –Kahului (Maui), HI 42.7%
5 –New York City, NY 36.2%
6 –Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ 18.4%
7 –Anchorage, AK 15.7%
8 – Washington D.C. 12.8%
9 – Lihue (Kauai), HI 12.3%
10 –Miami/Miami Beach, FL 11.7%
Top 10 Domestic Destinations: 2007
1 – Las Vegas, NV 77.9%
2 – Orlando, FL 75.5%
3 – Honolulu, HI 55.6%
4 – Kahului (Maui), HI 44.2%
5 – New York City, NY 38.3%
6 – Anchorage, AK 20.7%
7 – Miami/Miami Beach, FL 14.8%
8 – Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ 14.6%
9 – Fort Myers, FL 13.8%
10 – San Francisco, CA 12.8%
Top 10 International Destinations: 2008
1 – Caribbean Cruising 64.0%
2 – Cancún, México 62.3%
3 – Riviera Maya, México 32.4%
4 – Rome, Italy 31.4%
5 – Mediterranean Cruising 24.3%
6 – Puerto Vallarta, México 20.0%
7 – Montego Bay, Jamaica 19.8%
8 – London, United Kingdom 18.9%
9 – Punta Cana, D. Republic 18.2%
10 –(tie) Cruising Mexico 16.2%
10 – (tie) Cabo San Lucas/ 16.2%
Los Cabos, México
Top 10 International Destinations: 2007
1 – Caribbean Cruising 70.8%
2 – Cancún, México 68.6%
3 – Riviera Maya, México 35.3%
4 – Rome, Italy 30.4%
5 – Montego Bay, Jamaica 24.1%
6 – Punta Cana, D. Republic 21.9%
7 – Puerto Vallarta, México 21.7%
8 – Cabo San Lucas/ 20.3%
Los Cabos, México
9 – London, United Kingdom 19.9%
10 – Mediterranean Cruising 19.5%
Top 5 Cruise Destinations: 2008
1. Alaska 28.5%
2. Caribbean (Western) 20.5%
3. Caribbean (Eastern) 15.5%
4. Europe Mediterranean 8.7%
5. Caribbean (Southern) 6.3%
Top 5 Cruise Destinations: 2007
1. Caribbean (Western) 30.0%
2. Alaska 21.9%
3. Caribbean (Eastern) 16.0%
4. Europe Mediterranean 8.1%
5. Caribbean (Southern) 7.3%
*First time in four years that Alaska has topped the list
What would you consider an “emerging travel destination” either for leisure or corporate travel?
1. Eastern Europe 18.5%
2. Central America 16.4%
3. South America 12.5%
4. Eastern Asia 8.4%
5. Middle East 6.6%
Additional Notes:
• Emerging Destinations:
Adventure, cultural inquisitiveness, an effort to squeeze the most out
of the U.S. dollar and Americans’ new passports all play roles in the
“emerging destinations.” The most popular Eastern European destinations include: Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. For Central America the overwhelming choice is Costa Rica, followed by Belize. South America
presents a cornucopia of options including: Brazil, Peru, Argentina,
Chile, Venezuela, Galapagos, Patagonia and cruising. China led the way
for Asia– the data from our “International Destinations” would corroborate that. The Middle East ranks #5 based mainly on the growing interest in Dubai for the more up-scale travelers.
• Trip Length:
There has been a substantial increase in longer vacations. Vacations
from 8-10 days went up 7.8% year over year; the percentage of vacations
10-14 days has more than doubled in the past two years; and the
percentage of vacations “longer than 14 days” has more than quadrupled
since 2006. “The ‘Boomers’ most likely play a significant role in this
trend,” noted Block. “They now have the time and the means for longer
vacations in terms of both the time spent on vacation and traveling to
more distant and sometimes exotic locations that simply require more
time.”
What is the average length of the vacations you’ve been booking for 2008?
‘08% ‘07%
Six to seven days 60.5 75.5
Eight to ten days 19.0 11.2
Four to five days 11.9 9.3
Ten to fourteen days 5.4 2.4
Less than four days 1.8 1.0
Longer than 14 days 1.4 .60
What
types of vacations seem to be especially popular for your clients in
2008 (experts could name all that applied)?
1. All-inclusive resorts 81.0%
2. Cruises 71.8%
3. Family trips 55.6%
4. Vacations to sunny/warm destinations 53.8%
5. Honeymoons 45.6%
Comparing your 2008 bookings so far to your 2007 bookings at this time last year, which is true?
2008 Response ‘08%
They’re higher by more than 50% 3.07
They’re higher by more than 41-50% 1.08
They’re higher by more than 31-40% 3.25
They’re higher by more than 21-30% 7.22
They’re higher by more than 11-20% 19.23
They’re higher by 0-10% 16.61
TOTAL SAYING “HIGHER” 50.46
They’re about even 31.95
They’re lower by 0-10% 9.39
They’re lower by more than 10% 5.23
They’re lower by more than 20% 3.06
TOTAL SAYING “LOWER” 17.68
* Survey of 507 Carlson Wagonlit Travel agents taken Nov.28-Dec. 15, 2006.
# # #
The Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate
network is part of the Carlson family of businesses, a global leader in
the travel and hospitality industry that includes Regent ®
International Hotels, Regent Seven Seas Cruises®, Radisson Hotels &
Resorts®, T.G.I. Friday’s® and more. In
2007, for the eleventh consecutive year, a Carlson Travel Franchise
Group brand was named the top travel business franchise by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500®; Franchise Times ranked the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program as the 3rd top franchise overall in 2007 for the seventh year in a row.
