Jan
14
2013
Each fall, we survey travelers to learn about their winter travel plans. Here are the results of our survey of 2,451 travelers, which we think you might find interesting as an innkeeper!
When it comes to winter travel, three out of four travelers (75%) are planning one or more weekend getaways, while only 40 percent will take a week-long trip. Of those planning weekend getaways this winter, nearly three out of four seek value and affordable accommodations (72%) and plan to return to a destination they have visited previously (74%).
The top 10 winter destinations for bed and breakfast travelers who plan to travel between December and February include:
1. New York City
2. Boston
3. Charleston, SC
4. Chicago
5. Asheville
6. New Orleans
7. Key West, FL
8. Fredericksburg, TX
9. London
10. Washington, DC
For their winter travel, nearly half plan to stay in a bed and breakfast, with two out of three planning to stay in a different B&B for new experiences. Three out of four (76%) say bed and breakfasts, which generally offer free breakfast, parking, WiFi, and other amenities, provide more value than hotels.
Looking back over the past year, the survey also found more than a quarter of travelers (27%) have stayed in more B&Bs this year than last.
When asked about their most favorite part of the B&B experience, and 51% said it was being at a unique property with indivudally-decorated rooms. After that, 17% selected "staying with innkeepers that are local experts," 16% saidit's the homemade breakfasts, 9% said it's the great value, and 7% said it was the interaction with other guests.
Do any of these findings surprise you?
By Emily Starbuck Crone