Y Partnership Previews 2009 National Travel Monitor™ Toursim Trends

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The results of our 2009 National Travel Monitor™ will be released in three weeks, and the findings with respect to the travel intentions of Americans mirror those we have reported recently in our travelhorizons™ series: the percentage of leisure travelers planning "more trips" in the year ahead exceeds the percentage planning "fewer trips." Specifically, more than half of all leisure travelers are planning to take the same number of leisure trips this year compared to last.

Fully one quarter plan to take more trips, and approximately one in five expects to take fewer trips. The net positive difference (more versus fewer trips) of 7% observed this year compares favorably with the net positive difference observed in both 2007 and 2008 (11% each year). And although the difference observed is not statistically significant, the directional shift will certainly come as good news for the travel industry. The three-year trend is summarized below:



Among leisure travelers planning fewer trips in the year ahead, "concern about the economy" is cited as the primary reason why. Other reasons cited by respondents include "concerns about the household budget," "cutting back on spending," and the "need or want to do some projects they have been putting off at home."

It is interesting to note the same proportion of leisure travelers cited concerns about the economy this year versus last, while the "need/want to do projects at home" and "gasoline prices being too high" declined significantly. Equally interesting to note is the fact that the number one reason cited for taking fewer trips just 3 years ago ("can't get the time off from work") is now cited by only 4% of leisure travelers.

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