Survey Shows Americans Committed to Summer Travel, Despite High Gas Prices
JUNE 30, 2008. BedandBreakfast.com recently polled more than 5,200 U.S. innkeepers about advanced bookings for the July 4th weekend. The 1,346 respondents reported that July 4th weekend reservations are even or have increased over last year at more than 70 percent of B&Bs.
Over Memorial Day, a similar survey showed that 66 percent of B&Bs were even or up in bookings over the previous year. Clearly, as Americans tighten their wallets and stay closer to home to avoid high gas costs, they are discovering the value that B&Bs offer.
In another recent survey, Kayak.com, a large travel search engine, found that while the economic downturn has caused a whopping 79 percent of travelers to alter their vacation plans, Americans still intend to get away this summer.
In BedandBreakfast.com's July 4, 2008 survey, nearly 28 percent of respondents reported that July 4 bookings have increase year over year, while nearly 42 percent noted they were even with last year's reservations -- a notable achievement in an unstable economy.
Innkeepers' comments explaining the reasons for increased reservations ranged from a rise in return guests to proximity to scenic attractions to more couples looking for shorter, one-tank getaways. In fact one in three innkeepers cited the increase in shorter getaways as the reason for strong July 4 bookings. This year, the July 4 holiday falls on a Friday, giving vacation-deprived Americans a three-day weekend, perfect for travel.
Interestingly, in BedandBreakfast.com's May survey, 37 percent of survey respondents stated that bookings were down for Memorial Day travel year over year. Yet less than 30 percent (29.3%) said that July 4 bookings were behind this year, showing that Americans are turning to B&Bs for value-filled summer vacations. Among those responding, 80 percent attributed the decrease in bookings to the price of gas, and nearly 78 percent claimed that the unstable economy was affecting travel (respondents could select more than one reason).
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