The recession continues to affect markets in the travel industry, as a new study by OnCampus Research reports that more students are forgoing vacation plans for Spring Break and staying at home to save money. Some are even working instead of traveling
Out of the more than 1,100 students asked about spring break plans, 46 percent said they plan to relax at home. This is up from 37 percent in a 2008 survey. Of the students not going home, 28 percent are staying at school and 26 percent are traveling for some purpose. More specifically, only 10 percent of all students will be vacationing with friends.
The top reasons given by students who are not traveling this year include:
* 40 percent can not afford to go anywhere
* 20 percent have to work
* 18 percent want to spend time with family and friends
For those who are traveling with friends, OnCampus Research found that almost 60 percent are staying in the U.S., with the most popular destination being Florida (22 percent). Only 7 percent will be traveling to Mexico and 2 percent to the Caribbean.
When planning their trips, college students said that staying within a budget was the biggest determining factor.
* 44 percent of students chose a destination that was less expensive
* 29 percent chose a location that they can drive to, instead of fly
* 71 percent paid for the trip with money they have earned
On our Facebook page, we recently asked agents how their Spring Break business was doing. Patricia Dumpson-Niemela Sadly is feeling the effects noted in the OnCampus Research report, saying she hasn't "had any Spring Break bookings," as Lauren Terner Simon says her business has been "weak."
But three agents appear to be experiencing quite the opposite. For Murray Lundberg, work with Expedia CruiseShipCenters Yukon has "been extremely good, both for resorts and cruises," as his "list of clients traveling during Spring Break is at the maximum [he's] comfortable with."
Kim Johnson said "March is pretty booked," and Tami Pruitt is "swamped" and, therefore, "pleasantly surprised."
We'd like to hear from you on this topic. Has your Spring Break business followed the trend reported in the OnCampus Research report or are you having great luck like Murray, Kim and Tami? Share on our Facebook page. Send us a tweet on our Twitter page. Join the discussion on AgentNation.