Despite Americans opting for weekend getaways, affluent consumers still want the more traditional vacation time of a week or more.
Affluent travels are also not usually last minute but are planned four or more weeks in advance, according to a new study.
The study by database marketers Thomas, Townsend & Kent (TTK) and market intelligence firm BIGresearch found almost half of well-off travelers intended to take vacations of at least 8 days. Another 46.6% planned trips that may be long as seven days.
Only 4.4% reported traveling for two to three days.
The affluent travelers also generally booked well in advance. For example, nearly 85% planned to book their trips more than three weeks in advance.
“The tactic of offering last-minute discounts to fill unsold inventory has little influence on upscale consumers,” said Roy Weiss, TTK executive vice president.
He added:
“Savvy marketers targeting the affluent can maximize profitability by communicating with these consumers early, before they finalize their plans.”
Affluent travelers were defined as those with household incomes of at least $100,000.
Report by David Wilkening
