Cruising
It’s no surprise that cruising appeals to group travel planners, with 67 percent offering cruises to their customers; another 22 percent have not done so but are open to the idea. Only 10 percent said they wouldn’t consider cruising.
Key Takeaway: The value and convenience of cruising is unparalleled for groups. The market seems well saturated, which means cruise lines that create innovative products and exclusive experiences will enjoy a competitive advantage in this market segment.
Tour Operators
Contrary to popular opinion, independent group leaders don’t compete with professional tour operators but, rather, cooperate with them. In this survey, 84 percent of respondents reported using professional tour operators’ services, and 13 percent said they don’t currently but would be open to doing so. Only 2 percent refuse to work with tour operators.
Key Takeaway: Preformed groups continue to represent a major opportunity for tour operators, and boutique, customized tour companies may be able to siphon off some market share from larger organizations if they play their cards right.
Flying
Though groups are typically thought of as traveling by bus, they are not averse to flying. The vast majority of respondents — 79 percent — said their groups fly, and another 15 percent are open to flying. Only 6 percent said they wouldn’t consider flying.
Key Takeaway: Group trips aren’t restricted to drive markets anymore, and destination representatives with the right product mix and marketing message can attract groups from around the country that are willing to fly in for a visit.
Social Media
Today’s travel planners are avid users of social media. Facebook is the most popular platform among this group, with 73 percent using the service. It is followed by LinkedIn at 23 percent, Twitter at 20 percent and Pinterest at 14 percent.
Key Takeaway: Facebook marks a huge, largely untapped potential for travel promotion. Though many DMOs have social media strategies, they tend to be focused on the individual or family traveler. Smart group sales representatives could leverage social media to create key relationships and marketing opportunities.
Travel Ideas
Technology has had an impact on how people buy travel, but traditional information channels still rule among group planners. Travel magazines ranked as the highest information source in the survey, with 83 percent of respondents using them, followed by word of mouth with 77 percent, online searches with 71 percent and tourism conferences with 67 percent.
Key Takeaway: Traditional display advertising and public relations strategies still represent the most effective ways to reach this influential travel planning audience, many of whom do not attend tourism conferences.
Travel Activities
Group travelers enjoy a broad range of activities on the road, but some trends emerged in the survey. Leading the pack were history and heritage attractions, which are visited by 83 percent of respondents. Music and entertainment followed with 78 percent, then live theater with 73 percent and museums with 68 percent. Sports events scored the lowest, attracting 29 percent of groups.
Key Takeaway: Travel groups are diverse and represent a wide variety of tastes and travel styles. Tour packagers and destination promoters should offer as many different kinds of experiences as possible.
