A plethora of seasonal deals and the prospect of fewer crowds are leading to larger numbers of travelers planning fall trips, says the Travel Beat Survey by Ruff Strategic Solutions.
A possibly amazing number of 96 percent of consumers polled plan to travel on leisure trips this fall.
Nearly half (44 percent) of those polled noted attractive deals and promotions as the deciding factor in planning fall travel, while 32 percent cited fewer crowds, according to the study conducted on behalf of Travel Guard North American.
“Because of this, many are traveling greater distances to where fall is the shoulder season such as Europe (55 percent) as well as the Caribbean and Mexico (26 percent),” the survey concluded.
While deals are still driving many purchase decisions, budgets for fall travel are still “fairly substantial.”
Forty-seven percent of those polled anticipate spending $2,000-$4,999 on their trip, while 27 percent plan to spend up to $10,000.
In addition, two-third percent of those polled say their fall getaway did not replace a more traditional summer vacation.
“Though the recent recession made travelers more value-minded, they are no longer holding off on leisure travel,” said Travel Guard Vice President Carol Mueller. “They are, however, being more cautious about their purchase decisions. One of the ways they are doing so is by purchasing travel insurance to cover their investment.”
By David Wilkening
