Understanding American Behavior in Booking Travel

It is no secret that American travelers are now using the internet to get the best travel deals for their family. And once they are on vacation, it is their desire to spend as much time with their loved ones as possible. The chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, Peter Yesawich, provided an overview of consumer behavior with regards to their travel and leisure activities.

Citing the findings of the National Travel Monitor, he revealed that social values and technology play a big part in influencing American travelers. According to the findings, technology is especially important because 61 percent of travelers cited that they used the internet exclusively for their purchase decisions. In addition, the 2009 Monitor further declared that 56 percent of these travelers make their online travel bookings.

Based on the study, it seems that only 7 percent of American still go to travel agents exclusively for help. Meanwhile, 24 percent said that they used both travel agents and the internet in making their decisions. Aside from researching online, American travelers are also increasingly becoming active in online communities.

Price-Driven Market

Americans are using websites to check out the lowest possible price for their requirements. It remains the most important feature for searchers with 87 percent of them citing that this is the main reason they browse online. Another feature that can help boost hotel sales is the booking capability.

Effective yield management staff knows that this can significantly increase RevPAR and help maximize profits. In fact, 74 percent o f the respondents said that they prefer to book conveniently from the website. Other features such as the capability to share media content like photographs, videos, and articles are also very helpful.

Family Values is Still the Most Important

But before you think that price is the most critical factor, the Monitor discovered that Americans are actually more interested in spending quality time with their families. The intergenerational travel packages are quite hot because of this. In addition, many people still value their time. So they would much prefer to get personalized services than do everything themselves from scratch.