The travel industry has been challenged by a variety of negative drivers in the new millennium, including slowed economic growth and dramatically heightened concerns about security, war, terrorism, and disease. Between 2000 and 2003, domestic business travel fell by 15%, airline travel by 14%, and international travel to the U.S. was down by 21%. Since 2003, however, virtually all sectors of the travel industry have experienced growth.

This report addresses the travel habits and attitudes of American couples, on topics such as travel preferences and planning; foreign and domestic travel; rental cars; lodging; and air travel. Because this time is a precarious one for the travel industry, it is especially important for supplies to understand the changing behavior of leisure travelers. With the information and analysis in this report, suppliers will be prepared to make sound business judgements in a rapidly evolving market.

In this report, Mintel clearly identifies the principal external factors driving or curtailing growth in couples travel. Exclusive consumer research reveals the attitudes, needs and behavior of American couples, with analysis broken down both by couples with children and couples without children.

Six years of specific sales data provide a factual and impartial presentation of the market as a whole. Mintel also evaluates the performance of individual sectors in the market, and provides information about the major companies and brands. Mintel uses the SPSS forecasting package to create a five-year forecast of U.S. retail sales in couples travel, revealing potential opportunities for growth and product development.

This report contains US IRI InfoScan data.

• Introduction and Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Other relevant reports
• Definition
• Data for this report
• Abbreviations & terms
• AbbreviationsTermsExecutive Summary
• Couples without children travel more than the general population
• Those aged 45-74 comprise the core of the market
• Baby Boomers promise growth and warrant most attention
• Younger couples are a smaller, but highly active market
• Travel preferences and activity
• International and domestic travel
• Air travel
• Car travel
• Lodging
• Demographic Overview
• Relevant total demographics
• Projected demographic changes by age
  • Figure 1: U.S. population, by age, 2000-10
• Income by age
  • Figure 2: Median household income perhousehold member, by age of householder, 2003
• Marital status
• OverviewFigure 3: Marital status, by age, 2003
• Unmarried householdsFigure 4: Unmarried opposite-sexhouseholds, by age, are shown in the following Figure.
• Demographics of couples without children
• Couples without children by age group
  • Figure 5: Distribution of married-couplehouseholds without children in the home, by age, 2005
  • Figure 6: Graph: Distribution ofmarried-couple households without children in the home, by age, 2005
• Couples without children by income groups
  • Figure 7: Incidence of domestic andoverseas travel--couples without children, by household income, May2004-May 2005
  • Figure 8: Travel activity in the last 12months--couples without children, by household income, May 2004-May2005
  • Figure 9: Distribution of married-couplehouseholds without children in the home, by household income, 2005
  • Figure 10: Graph: Distribution ofmarried-couple households without children in the home, by householdincome, 2005
• Couples without children by race/ethnicity
  • Figure 11: Distribution of married-couplehouseholds without children in the home, by race/ethnicity, 2005
  • Figure 12: Graph: Distribution ofmarried-couple households without children in the home, byrace/ethnicity*, 2005
  • Figure 13: Total U.S. population, by age,by race/Hispanic origin, 2005
• Cohort groups
• "Alex and Judith": Affluent Empty Nesters"Stan and Carole": Upscale Middle-Aged Couples"Brett & Tracey": Hyperactive Newlyweds"Ronnie & Debbie": Working-class Couples"Eric & Rachel": Young, Married StartersTravel Trends and Habits by Generations
• Travel activity overview
  • Figure 14: Incidence of domestic andoverseas travel--all households vs those without children, May 2004-May2005
  • Figure 15: Travel spend and length ofhotel stay--all households vs those without children, May 2004-May 2005
• The big boom in Boomer travel
• Swing generation continues to travel
• Gen X and Echo Boomers--pre-family couples
• Travel Preferences and Activity
• Introduction
• Seeking ideas for destinations
  • Figure 16: Use of travelmagazines--couples without children, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 17: Use of travelmagazines--couples without children, by household income, December 2005
• Frequency of leisure travel that uses travel services
  • Figure 18: Frequency of leisure travelusing travel services in the last 12 months--couples without children,by age and household income, December 2005
• Destinations on most recent trip
  • Figure 19: New, return or multiplelocations and type of location for last trip--couples without children,by age, December 2005
• Destinations on trips during the past two years
  • Figure 20: New, return or multiplelocations and types of locations for trips in the past twoyears--couples without children, by age, December 2005
• Travel companions
  • Figure 21: Travel partners in leisuretrips of last two years--all and couples without children, December2005
  • Figure 22: Travel partners in the last twoyears--couples without children, by gender, December 2005
  • Figure 23: Travel partners on last leisuretrip--couples without children, by age, December 2005
• Frequency of travel with spouse
  • Figure 24: Number of trips with spouse orsignificant other--couples without children, by age, December 2005
• Preferred types of vacations
  • Figure 25: General attitudes towardvacation & travel--married cohorts without children, May 2004-May2005
• Primary purpose of most recent trip
  • Figure 26: Primary purpose of the lasttrip--all and couples without children, December 2005
  • Figure 27: Primary purpose of the tripstaken in the last two years--couples without children, by householdincome, December 2005
• Activities during trips of past two years
  • Figure 28: Activities undertaken duringtrips tin the last two years--all and couples without children,December 2005
• Preferences for short trips
  • Figure 29: Preference for shorttrips--couples without children, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 30: Have visited a theme park inthe last 12 months--couples without children, by age, household incomeand cohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• International and Domestic Travel Activity
• Introduction
• International vs. domestic travel
  • Figure 31: Preference for domestic vsforeign travel--couples without children, by age, household income andcohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• International travel and flights in the last three years
  • Figure 32: Any foreign travel and foreigntravel by plane in the last three years--all and couples withoutchildren, by number of trips, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 33: Any foreign travel in the lastthree years--couples without children, by age, household income andcohorts, May 2004--2005
• Purpose of recent international travel
  • Figure 34: Purpose of last trip to aforeign country--all and couples without children, by cohorts, May2004-May 2005
• Type of accommodation during international travel
  • Figure 35: Lodging in a foreigncountry--all and couples without children, by cohorts, May 2004-May2005
• Popular international travel destinations
  • Figure 36: Destination for last trip to aforeign country--couples without children, by cohorts, May 2004-May2005
• Transportation to an international destination
  • Figure 37: Methods of transportation usedfor last trip taken to a foreign country--couples without children, bycohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• Domestic travel
• Incidence of domestic travel
  • Figure 38: Domestic travel in the last 12months--all and couples without children, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 39: Domestic travel--coupleswithout children, by age and household income, May 2004-May 2005
• Nights spent away, domestic travel
• Purpose of recent domestic travel
  • Figure 40: Motivations for domestictrip--couples without children, by cohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• Air Travel
  • Figure 41: Domestic travel in the last 12months and # of plane trips--couples without children, by age,household income and cohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• Willingness to sacrifice time, convenience for low fares
  • Figure 42: Sacrificing convenience forsavings in airfare--couples without children, by age, December 2005
• Last-minute trips by plane
  • Figure 44: Last-minute trips byplane--couples without children, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 45: Last-minute trips byplane--couples without children, by household income, December 2005
• Dedicated flights for those without children
  • Figure 46: Attitudes towards dedicatedflights for those traveling without children--all and couples withoutchildren, December 2005
  • Figure 47: Attitudes towards dedicatedflights for those traveling without children--couples without children,by age, December 2005
  • Figure 48: Attitudes towards dedicatedflights for those traveling without children--couples without children,by household income, December 2005
• Car Travel
• Introduction
• Vacation trips taken in personal cars
• Fly vs. drive
• Renting a vehicle for business or personal use
  • Figure 49: Vehicle rental in the last 12months--couples without children, by age, household income and cohorts,May 2004-May 2005
• Frequency of car rental
  • Figure 50: Vehicle rental in the last 12months--couples without children, by age and household income, May2004-May 2005
• Last-minute trips by car
  • Figure 51: Last-minute trips bycar--couples without children, by age, December 2005
• Lodging
• Choice of lodging, most recent domestic trip
  • Figure 52: Accommodations for lastdomestic trip--couples without children, by age, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 53: Accommodations for lastdomestic trip--couples without children, by household income, May2004-May 2005
  • Figure 54: Accommodations for lastdomestic trip--couples without children, by cohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• Extent of domestic hotel/motel usage
  • Figure 55: Incidence of staying in ahotel/motel in the last 12 months and length of stay--all and coupleswithout children, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 56: Incidence of staying in ahotel/motel in the last 12 months and length of stay--couples withoutchildren, by age, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 57: Incidence of staying in ahotel/motel in the last 12 months and length of stay--couples withoutchildren, by household income, May 2004-May 2005
• Hotels--just a place to sleep?
  • Figure 58: Hotels--just a place tosleep?--couples without children, by gender, December 2005
  • Figure 59: Hotels--just a place tosleep?--couples without children, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 60: Hotels--just a place tosleep?--couples without children, by household income, December 2005
• Preferences for boutique hotels
  • Figure 61: Prefer boutique hotels ratherthan chains--couples without children, by gender, December 2005
  • Figure 62: Prefer boutique hotels ratherthan chains--couples without children, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 63: Prefer boutique hotels ratherthan chains--couples without children, by household income, December2005
• Loyalty to a particular hotel or hotel chain
  • Figure 64: Loyal to a particular hotel orhotel chain even if not the cheapest available?--couples withoutchildren, by age, December 2005
  • Figure 65: Loyal to a particular hotel orhotel chain even if not the cheapest available?--couples withoutchildren, by household income, December 2005
• Interest in dedicated hotel areas for those without children
  • Figure 66: Would enjoy dedicated hotelareas for those traveling without children--all and couples withoutchildren, December 2005
  • Figure 67: Would enjoy dedicated hotelareas for those traveling without children--couples without children,by age, December 2005
  • Figure 68: Would enjoy dedicated hotelareas for those traveling without children--couples without children,by household income, December 2005
  • Figure 69: Have visited a resort in thelast 12 months--couples without children, by age, household income andcohorts, May 2004-May 2005
• Appendix: Trade Associations
• Appendix: Simmons Cohort Definitions
  • Figure 70: Married couples cohorts
  • Figure 71: Single women cohorts
  • Figure 72: Single men cohorts
• Appendix: Research Methodology
• Consumer Research
• Datascension, Inc. and Harris Interactive Service Bureau
• Greenfield Online
• ICR Surveys EXCEL
• Simmons National Consumer Surveys
• Technometrica TechnoExpresssm
• Trade Research
• Informal trade research
• Formal trade research
• Desk & Internet Research
• Sources
• Definitions
• Forecasts
• Appendix: What is Mintel?
• Mintel Group
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• Mintel Menu Insights
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• Mintel Custom Solutions