As the last minute hotel booking debate rumbles on, Expedia has a study which highlights what travellers think about spontaneous travel decisions.
The study was conducted online among 2,000+ US adults who were asked about their last-minute trips they would like to take, and how mobiles play a role in their trip planning.
The release comes as Expedia launches a major promotion campaign to give away trips to unsuspecting travellers in streets around the US.
How spontaneous travellers are
- 92% consider themselves at least a little spontaneous. About 30% of respondents took last-minute trips out of town.
- 28% indicate that they dream of taking a spontaneous trip to an exotic location, and another 7% indicate they would actually take the trip.
- 26% of respondents were found to be more likely to take a spontaneous trip to a beach.
- 47% indicated money was the biggest factor in planning a spontaneous trip.
- 5% of respondents who take last minute trips indicated they travel out of the country on last-minute trips.
- 93% claim they would be "at least somewhat likely" to drop everything at a moment's notice to go on their dream trip, if the trip was paid by someone else. Who wouldn't?
Role of mobile in spontaneous decisions
- 28% of smartphone owners have used their mobile to book a hotel, and 34% indicated they haven't yet but they intend to.
- Among the respondents who made travel reservations from their phone, 78% fulfilled in less than one month. This shouldn't be a surprise as more than half of Expedia's hotel booking via mobile devices are for reservations in the next 24 hours.
- 84% of respondents say that their smartphones make it "at least somewhat easier" to be spontaneous while travelling.
In an another study commissioned by Expedia, it found that there is a strong correlation between vacation time and personal life happiness, also it was found that vacation time and job satisfaction is linked.
The Expedia Pleasure Index study was conducted online within the US among 2,076 people.
Correlation between vacation and love life
- 88% report being at least somewhat likely to be intimate during their vacation time.
- Travellers who have taken a vacation in the past four years are more likely to be satisfied with their love life than those who haven't.
- Those who have taken a vacation only with their spouse are much more likely to be satisfied with their love life than those who took their last vacation alone, or traveled with family or friends only. Kids, anyone?
Men vs women, and their vacation style- Men take more pleasure in vacations than do women. Men also take longer vacations; on average, men take two vacations per year that are five nights or longer, while women only take one such break per year.
- Men who go on a holiday take four vacations per year, while women take three.
What is a "vacation", and where they go- 63% of travellers call a 4-7 day trip as vacation; and 6% of travellers call a 1-2 day break as vacation.
- 34% of travellers who have ever taken a vacation visited an urban/city destination during their most recent vacation, while 27% visited the beach and 13% visited the countryside.
Correlation between vacation and job satisfaction- Travellers who have taken a vacation within the past year are more likely to be satisfied with their job than those who haven't taken a vacation in five years or more.
- 32% of employed vacationers keep a tab on their work at least once a day. While 46% never check in with work while on vacation.
- 59% of men keep a tab on their week during vacation, versus 49% of women.