Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301240216
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JAY CLARKE KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SURVEYING AMERICAN TRAVELERS' LIKES, DISLIKES AND HEADACHE
This is the season of surveys and ratings, and in the travel field they seem to cover everything from AAAutos to ZZZsleep.Here are a few to mull over:
The emerging '90s traveler is putting more emphasis on enrichment rather than pure escapism, according to a survey conducted by Louis Harris and Associates for Travel & Leisure magazine. More than 80 percent of frequent leisure travelers surveyed rated cultural and historical treasures and places with natural beauty much higher than night life, luxury resorts and shopping. Here's a breakdown of what respondents most often listed as important:
Location with natural beauty, 96 percent; visiting a place where they've never been, 89 percent; creating own itinerary, 89 percent; experiencing cultural, historial or archeological treasures, 83 percent; going off the beaten path, 73 percent; able to take great pictures, 73 percent; examining a different culture, 69 percent.
Less often listed as important: Good shopping, 59 percent; famous cities, 59 percent; good night life, 51 percent; luxury resorts, 39 percent; great golf courses, 24 percent.
Seasoned travelers aged 35 and older take more vacations, spend more money and are the fastest growing segment of the leisure-travel industry, a survey by Readers Digest Travel Network shows.
This demographic group spent $35 billion on leisure travel last year - about 40 percent of the total spent in the United States, although it represents only 8 percent, or about 14 million, of American adults who travel.
Some other findings: Seasoned travelers took an average of six trips (four domestic, two international) over the past three years, twice as many as other travelers. Average age was 48, 53 percent were female and average household income was $46,000.
Florida tops the list of preferred destinations for winter pleasure trips by nearly 69 million adults - that's 46 percent of the 150 million U.S. travelers - according to the Travel Industry Association's Travelometer, a quarterly survey of travel plans. California ranked next, with Hawaii third at 35 percent.
Other favorite destinations: Colorado, 13 percent; Nevada, 11 percent; Texas, 10 percent; New York state, 7 percent; Washington state, 6 percent; Louisiana, 5 percent. Despite Hurricane Andrew, 95 percent of those heading to Florida did not cancel or postpone their trips, the survey found.
Findings on other travel matters:
Biggest impediments to getting a good rest during business trips are jet lag, uncomfortable beds and lack of companionship, according to a survey by Sealy, the mattress manufacturer.
How well do domestic airlines serve the business traveler? Nationwide Intelligence, publisher of business travel information, gave a grade of A to MGM Grand and A-minus to Midwest Express. Delta and Alaska got B-plus, American, USAir and Horizon received a B, and United, America West, Southwest and Air Wisconsin a B-minus. Northwest, Aloha, Hawaii and Comair earned a C-plus. Continental had a C and TWA a C-minus.
The Excedrin people recently polled 750 adults by telephone to ascertain their most common "travel headaches." Rated No. 1 was sitting too long in one position. No. 2 was road construction, No. 3 lack of leg room, No. 4 fast food and No. 5 cutting it too close. Most headache-provoking cities were (in order) New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Chicago (tied), Dallas and Denver. Airports that produced headaches (in order): Chicago O'Hare, Atlanta, New York (JFK), Los Angeles, New York (LaGuardia), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, San Francisco, Washington and Miami.
If this is too much to swallow, take a pill. You know what brand.