Travel Habits of the Travel Industry

2018 Skift Survey

Skift’s Travel Habits of the Travel Industry survey provides insight into the travel behavior and preferences of those who work in the travel industry, across the verticals Skift covers. As industry insiders, the professionals in the travel sector are some of the most savvy and passionate travelers out there and we wanted to understand their unique tastes when it comes to everything from destination selection, to travel motivators, expenditure, and more.

Check out four key takeaways from the results below, and click the “Download Now” button to download the complete results.

Key Takeaways

1

Travel industry professionals, no surprise, are avid early-adopter travelers, for business and leisure. About a quarter take at least six leisure trips per year and over one-quarter take 10 or more business trips per year.

How many leisure trips do you take in a typical year?

More than 6
18%
6
6%
5
10%
4
21%
3
22%
2
18%
1
5%
0
1%

2

This segment of what we have previously termed Supertravelers value experiences and local connection highly when traveling. They strongly prefer spending more money on better activities than on a nicer hotel room, culture is a strong driver of their destination selection, and a large majority see importance in connecting with locals while traveling.

How important is it to meet and connect with locals when taking a vacation or trip?

Very Important
37%
Somewhat Important
47%
Not Really Important
14%
Not At All Important
2%

3

Travel industry professionals are much higher spenders than non-industry travelers when it comes to accommodations. They are more than twice as likely to spend over $200 per night on a hotel during a typical leisure trip.

On a typical leisure trip, how much do you normally spend on a hotel room?

More than $350
Per Night
5%
2%
$300 - $350
Per Night
3%
1%
$250 - $300
Per Night
7%
4%
$200 - $250
Per Night
11%
5%
$175 - $200
Per Night
13%
8%
$150 - $175
Per Night
12%
10%
$125 - $150
Per Night
15%
18%
$100 - $125
Per Night
14%
24%
$75 - $100
Per Night
11%
20%
$50 - $75
Per Night
10%
8%
Travel Industry
Non-Industry Traveler

4

Travel industry professionals are more likely to have stayed at an Airbnb in the past compared to non-industry travelers. Even so, most still prefer the hotel experience overall.

Have you ever stayed at an Airbnb?

Yes, multiple times
35%
16%
Yes, once
20%
17%
Never
43%
63%
What's Airbnb?
1%
4%
Travel Industry
Non-Industry Traveler

Survey Methodology

The survey collected responses from 1,905 global travel professionals who are Skift readers as well. Comparisons between the travel habits and preferences of travel industry professionals and non-industry travelers are made using data from our U.S. Experiential Traveler Trends Report 2018. While this is not a direct comparison, given varying geographies, age distributions, and sample sizes, we believe it provides further insight into the distinctive habits of travel industry insiders.

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Skift Travel Habits of The Travel Industry

Travel Habits of the Travel Industry
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