NEEDHAM, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, announced the results of its annual travel trends survey of more than 2,500 travelers from around the world. Top trends identified in the survey are concerns about germs, the growth of green tourism, and opposition to cell phone use on planes.
Eighty percent of respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are the biggest concern, according to 28 percent of those polled. Public transportation was next, followed by restaurants, hotels, and airports. Respondents outside the United States were particularly worried about the risk of germs at restaurants, while Americans are far more wary of airplanes.
Fifty-five percent of travelers said they tend to wash and disinfect their hands more often while traveling. In keeping with the germaphobia trend, 27 percent of Americans either bring their own disinfectant and cleaning supplies, shower shoes, pillows, towels or linens, when going on a trip. This number has climbed from 22 percent, when TripAdvisor first spotted the germaphobia trend in 2005. Forty-five percent of travelers said their worst experience at a hotel was a dirty bathroom or dirty sheets, and 17 percent said their worst experience was the presence of vermin. Travelers also cited clean restrooms as a top criterion for what makes an airport great.
Concern for Environment Grows
Twenty-six percent of respondents said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in the coming year. The green trend may be evident in their choice of transportation—22 percent said they’ll go biking while on vacation this year, compared to 13 percent last year. Forty-seven percent of travelers plan to go hiking this year, up from 43 percent, last year.
Seventy-eight percent of travelers believe that mobile phones should not be allowed on flights. When asked if they think they have a right to tell an airline passenger sitting next to them to turn off video content they deem inappropriate, 58 percent said “no.”
Fifty-four percent of respondents from outside the United States said that favorable exchange rates will inspire them to travel to the United States more in the next 12 months. On the contrary, 41 percent of Americans said the unfavorable exchange rates will either prevent them from going, or limit their travel to Europe in the coming year.
Americans Give Up Vacation Time
Fifty-four percent of Americans have four or more weeks of vacation time each year, and 47 percent believe they “need” six weeks of vacation or more. But, they are not even spending all the time they currently have. Only 64 percent of Americans used all of their vacation time in the past year. Asked why they won’t take all of their vacation time, 28 percent of U.S. respondents said they can’t afford to be away from work. Forty-eight percent of Americans check their work voicemail or e-mail on a long weekend, which jumps to 78 percent when taking a trip of a week or more.
Thirty-two percent of travelers (and 34 percent of Americans) are planning to engage in educational activity on vacation this year, such as a cooking or art class, up from 25 percent (and 28 percent of Americans), last year.
The top 10 U.S. travel destinations for 2008 include: Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.; Kitty Hawk (Outer Banks) N.C.; Seward, Alaska; Kailua, Hawaii; Blue Ridge, Ga.; Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania; San Marcos, Texas; Paso Robles, Calif.; Rockport, Texas; and Copper Mountain, Colo.
“The major trends we’re observing are that travelers value cleanliness above all else and are becoming more environmentally conscious,” says Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor.
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