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BUSINESS
FEATURE: OWNING AN ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY, THE BEST HOME BASED BUSINESS
FOR MINORITIES
MINORITY TRAVELERS: A LARGE AND GROWING MARKET WASHINGTON, DC -- A new report on minority travelers released by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) found a significant increase in travel over the past three years by minority Americans including African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American travelers. The figures are included in a new report called The Minority Traveler, which is based on a survey of 300,000 American households conducted in 2002. According to the report, Hispanic travel volume increased 20 percent from 2000 to 2002 (from 64.1 million to 77.1 million person-trips). Asian-American travel volume increased 10 percent (from 30 million to 33.1 million person-trips) and African-American travel volume increased four percent (from 72.2 million to 75.2 million person-trips). These increases are considerably higher than the two percent growth in U.S. travel overall over the same period. "These growth rates show that our industry has been very assertive in its efforts to market to minority travelers," said William S. Norman, President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America. "Every sector of our industry - hotels, theme parks, city visitor bureaus - has begun to reach out to the minority traveler through targeted advertising, minority travel guides and special ethnic promotions and I think we are seeing the results." In 2002, minority travelers generated approximately 18 percent of all person-trips taken in the U.S. but they generated 19 percent of domestic travel expenditures. Domestic expenditures by minority travelers totaled about $90 billion in 2002. While there are many similarities in travel behaviors between Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American travelers and overall U.S. travelers, there are some key differences. TIAs report found that minority travelers in general are more likely than average to include a rental car as their primary mode of transportation, attend cultural events or festivals, participate in nightlife activities and gamble as a form of recreation. FACTS ABOUT MINORITY TRAVELERS Hispanic Travel One in seven (15%) Hispanic person-trips include air transportation. Rental cars are used as the primary mode of transportation by seven percent of Hispanic travelers - more than twice as much as overall travel (3%). On one in seven (15%) trips, Hispanic households spend $1,000 or more, not including transportation to the destination. Spending time with family is important to Hispanic travelers, with 33 percent of Hispanic trips including three or more people from the same household, compared to the average U.S. trip (25%). One third (33%) of trips by Hispanic households include children under 18 years old. Of 11 common trip activities, shopping is the favorite activity for Hispanics (34% of person-trips), followed by outdoor recreation (16%), visiting theme or amusement parks (14%), visiting historical places or museums (13%), and going to beaches (13%). African-American Travel African-Americans are much more likely to travel to destinations throughout the southern census divisions, specifically to the South Atlantic (37% of person-trips), West South Central (15%), and East South Central (13%) divisions. About one tenth (9%) of all African-Americans travel includes a rental car as a primary mode of transportation. One in seven (14%) African-American person-trips include air transportation. On one in ten trips (10%), African-American households spend $1,000 or more, excluding transportation to the destination. Half (51%) of African-American trips are made by adults traveling alone or with someone outside their household. About one in four (26%) trips taken by African-American households include children under 18 years old. Aside from shopping (41% of person-trips), other popular activities on African-American trips are nightlife or dancing (13%), visiting historical places or museums (12%), attending cultural events or festivals (12%), visiting theme or amusement parks (12%), and gambling (12%). Asian-American Travel A large share (28%) of Asian-American person-trips include air transportation. Five percent of Asian-American person-trips involve the use of a rental car as a primary mode of transportation. On one in seven (15%) trips, Asian-American traveling households spend $1,000 or more, not including transportation to the destination. Half (50%) of Asian-American trips are made by adults traveling alone or with someone outside their household. One in five (22%) Asian-American household trips include children under 18 years old. Shopping is the favorite activity of Asian-American travelers, accounting for four in ten (39%) of person-trips. The next most popular trip activities are visiting historical places or museums (16%), pursuing outdoor recreation (14%), attending cultural events or festivals (13%), and gambling (12%). A large share (46%) of Asian-American trips are generated by single, never married households. TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $645 billion travel industry. TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $645 billion travel industry. TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States |