Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Fall is a spectacular shoulder season with discounts that few people utilize. It’s a good time of year to visit a few popular summer destinations, since their prices, crowds and temperatures have dropped. The fall season also distinguishes those cities with particularly beautiful fall foliage and fun festivals. New rankings from U.S. News Media Group identifies travel destinations with particularly attractive features in the upcoming months.

The summer travel season may be winding down but consumers are already making plans for the busy holiday season and into January of next year. Much of today’s leisure travel is planned through online resources, either from a consumer’s home computer or at work. And these online consumers are exhibiting distinct preferences by age group which travel providers should consider as they seek to target potential customers.

In 2010, the U.S. Congress established the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) with the dual goals of marketing U.S. travel to an international audience and boosting job creation to support the new business this initiative will bring. The CTP is a partnership between the federal government and the travel industry. The organization has just hired an ad agency and plans to work with state destination marketing groups to build Brand America.

AAA forecasts 31.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, a slight decrease from 2010. Automobile travel will remain the dominant mode of holiday transportation. Median spending is expected to be $702, largely unchanged from $697 last year. Interestingly, 71% of intended Labor Day holiday travelers said gasoline prices would not impact their travel plans.

Despite being hit hard by the recession, the hotel foodservice industry continues to reinvent itself post-recession to offer guests new culinary experiences, according to a new report by Packaged Facts. The moderate market growth experienced in 2010 is expected to continue through 2012. As part of the reinvention, the hotel industry is experimenting with new menu, design and technology concepts that are reshaping how hotel guests experience hotel food and beverage offerings.

Cruise lines and travel agents are eyeing a lucrative market as more consumers say they plan to take an initial or repeat cruise. Despite increasing capacity by over 8% last year, operators reported bookings at 103% occupancy. To generate continued consumer interest in this form of vacation, marketers will be targeting key demographics with unique promotions this season.