Want to get away? So do Hispanic consumers!
A study on the travel and vacation trends of U.S. Hispanics.
There are obviously a lot of differences between the US Hispanic culture and that of non-Hispanics… but one place where there is strong agreement across the board is in the way they travel. According to a nationwide study conducted by ThinkNow Research, 79% of Hispanics said they take 1 or more vacations each year. For non-Hispanics? Also 79%.
But within the Hispanic population itself, there were some very interesting trends highlighting information that will be of particular interest to companies and advertising firms serving the travel industry.
For example, of the 79% of Hispanics who vacation at least once a year, 17% said they vacation 3-6 times each year. And for wealthier Hispanics (HHI > $100k), 46% vacation 3-6 times every year! Travel and destination businesses… hablas español?
On where they travel… 31% of US Hispanics usually travel internationally, compared to just 18% for non-Hispanics. Where do Hispanics like to go for their international vacations?
But not all travel is overseas. What about travel inside of the US? First of all, 74% of the time, they drive to their destination; 47% of the time, they fly.
So, where do Hispanic travelers like to go when they “stay home?”
- California – 30%
- Florida – 26%
- Nevada – 14%
- Texas – 13%
- New York – 10%
However, within these numbers, wealthy Hispanics’ numbers are a little different. Of particular note… Florida, as a destination, increases to 32% and Nevada explodes to 25%! Can you say, “Vegas, baby!”
There’s also evidence that Hispanics spend more when traveling. When asked, “How much do you typically spend for an international vacation?,” 48% said they spend $5,000 or more (including 9% that spend more than $10,000). For the well-healed Hispanic travelers, 76% spent more than $5,000 (with 31% spending more than $10,000.
Hotel chains will be interested in the lodging choices among Hispanics when they travel. When asked about hotel stays in the past 12 months, the top choices were:
- Holiday Inn – 23%
- Best Western – 20%
- Hilton – 17%
- Comfort Inn – 16%
- Marriott – 16%
Plus, 5 other chains with double-digit responses.
Because they travel more frequently, affluent Hispanics not only stayed in hotels more often, but added two other chains to their “top destination” list – Embassy Suites and Hyatt.
Think about how this extensive travel among Hispanics impacts various segments of the economy… hotels, airplanes, cruise lines, oil companies, restaurants, destination cities, convention & visitors bureaus and so on. With the number of US Hispanics that travel – and travel often and travel well – there is an enormous opportunity for smart business leaders to take advantage of this phenomenon. Are you one of them?
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