2009 travel trends pinpointed by US travellers

More Americans plan to be environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in 2009, a study shows.

The poll of more than 3,000 US travellers found an emerging trend in visits to national parks, hiking and adventure activities.

Thirty-two per cent of those surveyed said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decision, up from 26%.

Meanwhile, 34% plan to visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort in the coming year, up from 30 per cent in 2008.

Sixty-one per cent said the cost of fuel is an important consideration when choosing where to go on their next holiday.

The research by online travel community TripAdvisor also identified the top three emerging world hotspots for travel as Budoni, Sardinia; Agia Galini, Crete and Petra in Jordan.

Making up the top ten were Ardmore, Ireland; Peschiera del Garda, Italy;
Protaras, Cyprus; Torre del Mar, Spain; Hanioti, Greece; Wadduwa, Sri Lanka and Goslar, Germany.
The top US destinations for next year were identified as: St. George,
Utah; Englewood, Florida; Keauhou, Hawaii;  Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania; Haines, Alaska;  
Bainbridge Island, Washington; New Buffalo, Michigan; Pahoa, Hawaii; Gurnee, Illinois and Ruskin, Florida

Seventy-three per cent of US respondents said they plan to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62%.

Fifty-three per cent will go hiking in the coming year, up from 50%.

Forty-seven per cent plan an adventure activity, an increase from 40 per cent this year.

Thirty-three per cent will go cycling and biking, up from 28%, and 11% of travellers are likely to participate in an extreme sports activity, compared to eight per cent, according to the poll.

Forty-nine per cent said they have had more trouble booking desired flights in the past 12 months, than they did the previous year. Seventeen per cent said they had a flight cancelled this year because their route or flight was permanently eliminated from their carrier’s schedule.

And 80% of US travellers think mobile phones should be banned on flights.

Sixty-nine per cent want wireless internet access on airlines, but only 14% are willing to pay for the privilege.

When asked what they can imagine airlines charging for in the future, half predicted a window view.

Seventy-one per cent think families with young children should sit in their own section of an aircraft while 13% think airlines should prohibit parents from flying with infants, except in the event of an emergency.

Thirty-seven per cent would pay extra to sit in a quiet section of an aircraft, and of that group, 38% would pay as much as a six-10 per cent premium.

Southwest, American and Delta emerged as the favourite US airlines, primarily for their friendly and helpful staff, good on-time arrival and departure record, and best fares. U.S. Airways was the least favourite, according to the survey.

The top airports for American travellers are Orlando International, Las Vegas, McCarran, and Amsterdam, Schiphol.  

The friendliest travellers according to US respondents, are Americans, followed by Australians, Canadians, English and Irish. The most annoying travellers are also Americans, followed by French, Japanese, Germans, and Chinese.

TripAdvisor vice president of global communications Michele Perry said: “An emerging trend is travellers getting greener.

“They plan to be more environmentally-conscious, and will be more active outdoors this year, taking advantage of some of the outstanding resources in the US, such as our beautiful national parks.

“For those interested in going farther afield, TravelCast’s top emerging world destination is Budoni, Sardinia, a breathtaking beach destination in Italy.”

by Phil Davies