Agency bookings are solidly up from last summer – especially in the cruise and FIT segments – and so is consumer spending on vacation getaways, Ensemble Travel Group reports in a new survey of member agents. The survey focused on family and multi-generational travel bookings this summer.
“The survey certainly bodes well for Ensemble members and many of our preferred partners this summer,” said Ensemble’s Georganne Shirk, vice president of marketing. “Results show that clients are loosening their purse strings and favoring vacations that truly deliver both the coveted authentic experience with plenty of unforgettable family memories.”
The survey reveals 55 percent of Ensemble members indicated an increase in family travel bookings this summer, compared to only 32 percent last year. This year, 32 percent said unchanged compared to 49 percent in 2013; and 13 percent expected a decrease compared to 19 percent last year.
Multi-generational bookings were up as 50 percent of the respondents indicated an increase compared to 46 percent in 2013. In addition, 37 percent said unchanged compared to 46 percent last year; and 13 percent expected a decrease this summer compared to 8 percent last year, Ensemble says.
The findings are part of the 2nd annual Ensemble Insights: 2014 Summer Family Travel Survey,offering a cross section of its North American membership during the peak travel season of June, July, and August, Ensemble said.
Family travel” was defined as parent(s) with children ages 18 and younger traveling together during the three-month period. “Multi-generational travel” was defined as a combination of grandparent(s), parent(s), children ages 18 and younger or children 19 and older.
Specific travel segments are faring especially well this summer in the family travel market, Ensemble reports. As the most popular type of summer vacation, FITs earned the top spot with 41 percent of the responses compared to tying with all-inclusive resorts last year at 35 percent. In the multi-generational group, cruises earned top billing at 48 percent in 2014 compared to 38 percent last year.
The average higher spending per booking was 37 percent of the summer travel bookings for families in the $10K-$19,999 bracket compared to 27 percent last year. The second highest spending level was the $5K-$9,999 group, at 28 percent in 2014 compared to 41 percent last year.
Europe bookings for the family market this summer appear to be steady or increasing, Ensemble said. Of respondents, 60 percent said the level of bookings has not changed compared to 42 percent in 2013. Also, 23 percent indicated an increase compared to 33 percent last summer; and 17 percent reported a decrease compared to 25 percent in 2013.
The Ensemble Insights: 2014 Summer Family Travel Survey reflects input from more than 900 Ensemble Travel Group travel agents, managers, and owners in the U.S. and Canada, representing a cross-section of business models and customer databases.
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