A comprehensive new survey on luxury travel bookings by Travel Leaders Group and a roundup of the most expensive cities for hotel stays in the U.S. lead this week in travel stats.
Luxury Hotel Bookings Lead High-End Travel Sales
A new survey by Travel Leaders Group reports nearly 90 percent of all luxury-oriented agents say bookings have "increased or remained steady" for luxury hotel bookings, luxury cruise bookings, bookings for suites on cruise ships, luxury tour bookings and First/Business Class airline tickets.
The top response from Travel Leaders Group's luxury-oriented survey participants was "luxury cruise ship‚" followed by "5-star hotels and resorts."
"The confidence luxury travelers have is palpable and clearly identified with the booking data from our latest survey. Nearly 92 percent of our luxury travel agents indicate luxury hotel bookings have increased or remained steady, luxury tour bookings are equal to or higher than last year for nearly 90 percent of our specialists and over 87 percent of those polled indicated their luxury cruise bookings have increased or are on par with last year," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben. "But make no mistake, clientele looking for unique, bespoke travel experiences do not spend money frivolously -- they demand value, as any traveler should," Liben said.
Boston Tops Most Expensive North American Cities
New data from CheapHotels.org shows that Boston is the most expensive North American city based on hotel room costs, according to a survey of 30 popular destinations in the U.S. and Canada. Hotel rates during the month of October served as the comparative basis.
In Boston, travelers will have to pay an average of $214 per night during October for double rooms. The least expensive destination according to the survey is Montreal. There, travelers should be able to find a room for around $50 per night this October.
U.S. Business Travel Worth $72.8 Billion Last Quarter
The Global Business Travel Association Foundation issued its quarterly report on U.S. business travel, finding that US-originated business travel spending increased more than 7 percent year-over-year to $72.8 billion in the second quarter of 2014.
The GBTA BTI, a proprietary index of business travel activity, is estimated to reach 136 in Q3 2014, bolstered by a strengthening domestic economy, an improving external environment and slightly higher travel prices. This represents a two-point gain over the previous quarter.
The BTI is expected to continue rising for the rest of 2014, reaching 137 by the end of the year.
1 in 6 Travelers Experience Rental Car Damage
A new study from rental car insurance provider Protect Your Bubble shows that 1 in 6 travelers experience damage to their rental car, at an average cost of over $800.
Additionally, the company has provided tips on what travelers should do if they are involved in an incident with their rental car (click to enlarge):
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