Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008 - (Page 16)

16 Travel Trends IN THE details New tech-savvy travelers Demographics vary Use travel websites often Ignore traditional advertising H&MM November 3, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Introducing travelers of the next generation echnological change has reinvented the manner in which lodging operators bring their products and services to the marketplace in recent years, and a new survey we coauthored with PhoCusWright now reveals emerging technology likely will have an equally profound effect on the behavior of those who use it. Conduct- T By Peter C. Yesawich H&MM Columnist ed during the spring of this year, the “NEXTgen Traveler” survey of 2,559 adults polled “active users” of the latest computer, entertainment or consumer technology who took at least one overnight trip and stayed in hotel or resort accommodations during the previous 12 months. These “next generation” travelers are highly educated (30 percent with a four-year college degree), afﬂuent (30 percent of households with an annual income in excess of $100,000), and equally likely to be echo boomers (18-28 years of age) as baby boomers (43 to 61 years of age), thereby debunking the belief that the usage of new technology is concentrated among younger travelers. They have a “We work with many of the largest ATM deployers in the country and have found that in terms of service levels, operational controls, and integrity of the operators that ATM Systems is in the very upper echelon of all of the ATM companies in the country.” --Cash Connect, a division of WSFS Bank John Clatworthy, VP of Sales & Marketing “I am a loyal client as a result of your professionalism and reaction time to my needs. Your decision to replace the old ATM was much appreciated. The new ATM is perfect.” --Radisson Hotel Sacramento George LaPointe, Director of Operations “Our front desk employees continually share with me the positive feedback they have received from our guests. Based on these comments, it’s clear that the ATM is fulfilling a guest service need at our hotel and has proven to be a real convenience for our guests.” --Radisson Hotel Boston Jack Eagan, Controller zest for travel (75 percent would travel more if they had more money; 62 percent would travel more if they had more time) and spend, on average, more than 50 percent more on travel services annually than their less tech-savvy counterparts. Not surprisingly, “next generation” travelers are heavy users of the latest technology: Twothirds take pictures, 63 percent text message, 33 percent access the Internet and 29 percent play video games with their phones. Two-thirds also shop on online sites such as eBay. Nearly four out of 10 own the latest video game console. And they rely heavily on the Internet when it comes to planning, purchasing and sharing information on travel experiences: Seven out of 10 use the Internet to search for travel information, while 41 percent have taken a virtual tour of a destination and 38 percent have built a trip itinerary online; More than half (58 percent) cite the “ability to check the best fares/rates” as the most important feature in a travel website; Almost four in 10 report being inﬂuenced by comments on social networking or travel advisory websites, but they frequent networking sites such as MySpace (56 percent) and Facebook (30 percent) more than travel advisory sites such as TripAdvisor (14 percent); Fully one-third have posted a travel review online. The media consumption habits of “next generation” travelers also differ markedly from those of their less tech-savvy counterparts. Advertising messages are frequently ignored, and traditional media outlets appear to exert little inﬂuence. More than half (56 percent) read newspapers online, while almost one out of ﬁve (18 percent) never reads a hard-copy newspaper. For more information on The NEXTgen Traveler, visit the publications section of www.ypartnership.com. hmm@questex.com Peter Yesawich is chairman and CEO of Ypartnership. He can be reached at Peter.Yesawich@ypartnership.com. ATM Systems CIRCLE NO. 103 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.atmsystems.com http://www.ypartnership.com http://www.atmsystems.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008 Contents The Rate Debate Accor Defines Motel 6 Prototype Rollout Holiday Inn Eyes Upscale, Timeshare Perspective Economy Sets Tone at The Lodging Conference Mellow Vibe Meets Bold Design at HD Boutique Expo IH/M&RS to Focus on Going Green Legally Speaking Sales Clinic On Finance Travel Trends Cornell Insights Franchise Law HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Energy Star Update Energy Star Update An Industry Connected People on The Move Annual GM Survey Point-of-Sale Systems IH/M&RS Product Preview Outdoor Lighting Refrigeration Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.