Tourist needs changing – Expedia

Today’s tourists are more likely to “fly cheap and sleep expensive’, travel further for shorter periods and seek out enriching experiences on their holidays, according to Expedia.

The online travel agency surveyed 14,000 customers from the UK and Europe as part of its Expedia TravelTrend Watch 2008 survey and discovered a very different breed of tourist emerging.

The survey said an increasing amount of travellers were happy to use the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair to reach their destination and then spend their money on four and five star accommodation when they got there. Some 46% of Brits chose to stay in four and five star hotels in the survey – double the amount of French travellers staying at the deluxe end.

Similarly, “smart travellers” who are travelling long-haul will use their money to ensure their long plane journey is as comfortable as possible by upgrading or using the most comfortable airline they can find but will opt for budget accommodation once on the ground. Expedia considers half of its bookers to be smart travellers in 2008.

The research also highlighted the rise of the “superbreak” which sees time-poor tourists travelling to mid –haul and long-haul destinations for short periods. Expedia puts this phenomenon down to the increased affordability of flights to far-flung destinations and “the desire to make the most of even a few days holiday by experiencing something new and different”.

Almost a third (31%) of those polled have already or would think about taking a short break to a mid-haul destination. The most popular reason? To experience a different culture.

The survey adds: “Our research indicates that gone are the days when you booked a package holiday and spent a week in the same resort. People now increasingly use their destination as a base from where they can explore the local area or even further afield by hiring a car or booking additional day trips. In 2007, searches for creative holiday activities via Expedia.co.uk increased –  a trend which looks set to grow with a quarter of Expedia customers saying they plan to use their holiday in 2008 to learn a new skill or hobby.”

A new type of package holiday will also be popular in 2008, according to the report. Not the traditional package as we know it but instead a focus on booking airport transfers, car hire, city tours and theatre and attraction booking in a bid by travellers to maximise on available time at their destination. The site saw a “significant rise” in holiday extras bookings in 2007. Some 21% of people now book a car at the same time as a hotel and flight, and almost a third (31%t) of travellers book previously organised excursions.

by Dinah Hatch

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