FINDING DEALS TOGETHER

So what are the top factors fuelling travellers’ desire to get away with family this summer? Well, according to a just-released survey of Ensemble Travel Group members in the U.S. and Canada, consumers are looking for togetherness, but at a reduced price for their upcoming summer vacation. And that togetherness extends to multiple generations on the family getaway, with significant growth being reported in this travel segment. And while “desire to spend quality time together as a family’ was the number one factor that influenced the purchasing decisions of Ensemble members’ family travel clients this summer, “taking advantage of special pricing” was also among the top responses in this category as well as when asked why clients booked their family’s summer getaway through an Ensemble Travel Group member. The findings are part of “Ensemble Insights: 2013 Summer Family Travel,” a new survey by the organization that analyzes booking trends and activity of a cross section of its North American membership during the peak travel season of June, July, and August. For this survey, “family travel” was defined as parent(s) with children ages 18 and younger travelling together during the three-month period. Ensemble’s marketing vice president, Georganne Shirk observes that: “Regardless of the prevailing economy, when you’re travelling with a group of six, eight, or even 10 family members, price is often right up there with spending quality time together when it comes to what’s important to travellers.” Shirk continued: “And fortunately, our Ensemble Exclusive offers and summer promotions — like the popular Ensemble Vacation Therapy and other supplier-specific deals – have frequently helped members “seal the deal” with customers in this profitable travel segment.” When asked about travel spend per booking, 41% of the Ensemble respondents said their family travel bookings ranged from $5,000 to $9,999, with another 27% falling in the $10,000 to $19,999 range, and another 16% from $20,000 to $29,999. Eleven per cent reported the average family travel booking at more than $40,000. While another five per cent answered either under $5,000 or between $30,000-$39,999.