U.S. Leisure Travelers Back on the Move

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Given the increased demand, Travel Leaders experts are counseling clients that if they plan on flying to their desired destination, they should make reservations sooner rather than later. Limited airline capacity, along with more people traveling this year, means seats are going quickly and could cost substantially more if consumers wait until the last minute to reserve.

Minneapolis, MN (Vocus) April 16, 2010

Today, Travel Leaders revealed that leisure travel is picking up quickly and that U.S. travelers are once again on the move this year. Over 63% of people who completed Travel Leaders’ nationwide consumer travel trends survey indicated that they had already taken at least one trip this year and over 77% indicated that they will take two or more leisure trips through the remainder of 2010. This online survey was conducted in March and includes responses from 800 consumers, predominantly comprised of Travel Leaders’ clientele, throughout the United States. With hundreds of U.S. locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of America’s top ten travel companies.

“Looks like we can finally say goodbye to that newfangled word ‘staycation’ as consumers are opting to say goodbye to their own backyards this year,” stated Roger E. Block, CTC, President of Travel Leaders Franchise Group. “Our findings also show that Florida will benefit from return to normalcy in consumer behavior, as over 42% indicated that they had or would be traveling to the Sunshine State this year. That mirrors the results from our annual Travel Trends Survey in which our travel agent experts indicated that Orlando was the top domestic destination that their clients were booking heading into this year. Not only does Florida provide countless family-friendly options, but it’s also sizzling hot among those seeking trendy getaways in places like Miami.”

Key Statistics and Findings:

•     When asked, “How many leisure trips have you taken so far in 2010?” 63.3% of those polled indicated they had already completed at least one leisure trip this year. While 21.6% indicated they had taken two or more.
•     When asked, “How many leisure trips do you anticipate taking the remainder of 2010?” 77.1% indicated they would be taking two or more trips yet this year. Nearly 43% (42.7%) indicated they would be taking three or more leisure trips throughout the remainder of 2010. Only 4.3% indicated they would not be taking any leisure trips this year.
•     When asked, “Which U.S. state(s) have you traveled to or will you travel to in 2010?” the top response was Florida (42.2%) over California (27.3%).

“The upswing in travel has also been reflected in our agencies throughout the country, which largely saw increased business year over year,” added Block. “Given the increased demand, Travel Leaders experts are counseling clients that if they plan on flying to their desired destination, they should make reservations sooner rather than later. Limited airline capacity, along with more people traveling this year, means seats are going quickly and could cost substantially more if consumers wait until the last minute to reserve.”

When your journey includes us, you travel better. To find the Travel Leaders location nearest you, go to http://www.TravelLeaders.com or call 1.888.206.TRIP (8747).

Travel Leaders is transforming travel with a name that boldly embodies our commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via a progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. As one of America’s top ten-ranked travel companies, Travel Leaders has assisted millions of travelers through our strong roots – the former Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group joined together in 2008 to form one of the industry’s fastest-growing and robust networks of travel agents. Travel Leaders Franchise Group can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the franchise system “Ask Mr. Foster Travel,” which itself was North America’s first travel agency chain established in 1888.

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