Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

It Gets Worse

Not to completely bum out Destination Marketing Pros...but the number of people that say they expect to travel less for leisure pursuits in the next 12 months has nearly TRIPLED to 28.8% from the same period response rate of 9.2% in 2007. 29.8% expect to spend less on leisure travel, up from 10.9%.

Like yesterday's bad news, the data again comes from The State of the American Traveler study from David Bratton and Destination Analysts. If you're going to be at DMAI in Vegas next week, look for him to learn more.

Staycations? It's Not Funny Anymore.

Yeah, I know that DMO Executives have gotten lots of media mileage over the past few months, touting their efforts to encourage locals to enjoy "staycations" because of high fuel prices.

Of course, I'm happy for them...but, they're just encouraging the behavior.

Our friend Dave Bratton (Destination Analysts) points us to the brand new version of his State of the American Traveler study...which reveals that 24% of Americans now admit to taking a Staycation over the past 12 months.

OK...you can stop now.

Airline Cutbacks Expected to Hurt Hotels

It only makes sense. Fewer arrivals at your airport means fewer travelers looking for hotel rooms.

But PKF Hospitality has released a report that identifies a direct correlation between a reduction in airline seats to hotel stays. And, if the reduction in routes hits the anticipated 10%, PKF estimates that occupancy will drop 3.9%.

MeetingsNet's Sue Pelletier surmises that this decrease will be felt mostly in leisure travel...and not in the meetings market.

I'm not so sure...as the reduction in flights will increase fares. Add the increasingly inane add-on fees and hassle...and I'm thinking a lot of potential attendees will say, "screw it" and stay home.

In any case, hotels in air markets are in for a rocky ride. As are the DMOs upon which they depend.

Temporary My Butt

Northwest Airlines has joined in the insanity of charging for the first checked bag...but they say it's only temporary until fuel prices come back down. Right...and that's gonna happen, err, when?

Since all the airlines are gonna do this (except Southwest...which is the only airline that seems to understand how to make a profit), can't y'all just increase your ticket prices $30? Like, all at once? And leave us alone?

Of course not...because that would violate anti-trust laws.

Which are, umm...supposed to protect us from people like you.

As the late, great Sam Kinison would say....Ohhh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.

The Bright Spot is One We Can't Measure

After putting on the stoic happy face this spring, more and more tourism talking heads are admitting that this year is gonna be a challenge. As noted in Travel Weekly, new indicators suggest that total travel in 2008 will be flat.

The bright spot, they say, will be an increase in Leisure Tourism this year...before tanking next year. Reading between the lines suggests that business knows there's a large pothole ahead, but American consumers are whistling past the graveyard.

So, if the opportunity this year is Leisure, how will Destination Marketers prove their effectiveness in landing it?

This Bed Smells

When one thinks of trendy, cutting-edge, consumer-focused hotel brands, Travelodge usually doesn't make the list. Maybe that's why their most recent move is so notable. I didn't think Travelodge made moves.

But, according to Nathan Midgley at Travel Weekly, the chain is rolling out aromatherapy sheets. Among the scents designed to lull us to sleep: Baby Powder, Apple Pie and Chocolate.

Oh, and that incessant sneezing you're hearing from Room 214 next door? That's the guy that got the bed with Freshly Cut Grass sheets.

The Future of Meetings and Conventions?

When Guy Kawasaki saw this, he said "I'll Never Get on a Plane Again."

Three speakers, one in Bangladore and two in San Jose...on the same stage, interacting in real time.

Too freaking cool. And while a few conference attendees avail themselves of the opportunity to meet the speakers, let's be honest. The majority don't. So...do the speakers even need to be there? Can the Meeting Planner save on all those transportation and hotel costs by utilizing this technology?

The answer is, of course, yes.

However, given the ability for the speakers to stay home, will attendees do likewise, preferring to consume conference content online and on their schedule?  A convention and meeting version of TiVo, if you will.

True, the networking aspect of meetings suffers...but the content portion? One might say that being able to consume content online could be more effective than onsite. And, it saves us all the hassle of getting on a plane.

This should make for a wild ride....

You Can Fly United, but They'll Tell You When You Can Come Home

In the race among the legacy carriers to see who can annoy their customers most, United has regained the lead by requiring minimum night stays on virtually all of its domestic coach seats. For instance, on its Chicago-Minneapolis hop, United customers will be required to stay three nights before they can fly home.

No, I'm not kidding.

While they tried to explain the bizarre concept away by saying that it is designed to keep corporate travelers from snapping up all the cheap seats, almost all travelers have to come home some time. Does it really make any difference when? Will it really make the airline more profitable if I come home tomorrow instead of today?

I'm sure hoteliers everywhere (except those that fly) are tickled pink. But, for those of us that often must string three destinations back-to-back-back (or just need to get back to the office to, ummm, I dunno, work?)...United has just lost another subset of its customers.

Durham Walks the Green Talk

A lot of Destinations talk green...but fewer live it. Travel Portland's website is wind powered. The Greater Madison CVB's recent renovation of its offices was about as green as you can get.

And then, there's the Durham CVB...which last month began harvesting rainwater off of its roof to feed the landscape irrigation system.

Reyn, you guys consistently blow me away...

A Slowdown? Really? Ya Think?

This spring, researchers suggested that the American Tourism landscape would fare fine in the face of $4 gas. After all, 69% of Americans said they wouldn't change their travel plans because of increased fuel costs.

Uhhh...that means roughly a third WOULD.

Any surprise then that the Federal Reserve is suggesting that growth in American Tourism is slowing?