It’s Time to Get Away

Over the course of the last few years the travel industry suffered terribly. The word "staycation" sent massive shivers down the spines of every travel, hotel and resort professional, as well as those who provided products to the industry. With over nine percent unemployment, a vast number of Americans chose to put their suntan lotion and luggage sheepishly back into storage and hunker down at home.

Even with the widespread collapse in travel spending during the recession, hundreds of billions of dollars (really think about that number, hundreds of billions—that's a lot of greenbacks) were exchanging hands. Consider the statistics below, provided by The U.S. Travel Association, the national, nonprofit organization representing all components of the $704 billion travel industry. Then read distributor sales tips and advice provided by leading suppliers in this market niche. If this is revenue that the travel industry can generate during a recession, just think about what it is capable of in recovery mode. When you're done digesting that information, enjoy a collection of advice and case studies from industry-leading resort and travel product suppliers on how you can generate revenue within this highly profitable market.

Stats from the Leisure Traveler
• Direct spending on leisure travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $489.7 billion in 2009.
• Spending on leisure travel generated $77.3 billion in tax revenue.
• 3 out of 4 domestic trips taken are for leisure purposes (77 percent).
• U.S. residents logged 1.5 billion person‑trips* for leisure purposes in 2009.
• Top leisure travel activities for U.S. domestic travelers: (1) visiting relatives; (2) shopping; (3) visiting friends; (4) rural sightseeing; and (5) beaches.
* Person-trip defined as one person on a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day or overnight trip to places 50 miles or more [one-way] away from home.