A new study by international travel and tourism consultancy Resonance Consultancy of the top 5% and 1% of U.S. travelers reveals wealthy travelers are more likely to book directly with a hotel or airline than use an online travel agency, and more than one-third use a travel agent to make arrangements for them.
Demand for large homes and multi-bedroom villas that facilitate “togethering” may see an increase as 45% of the top 1% are planning vacations with friends, 41% with kids and 30% a multi-generational vacation. They also consider health and wellness aspects of travel, and 67% regularly or occasionally play golf while on vacation.
In an analysis of 1,667 travelers with a household income of at least US$200,000 or net worth of US$2 million, Resonance found the top 5% take 14.3 trips per year (half for business and half for leisure, totaling an average of 29 days per year). U.S. travelers overall take an average of 4.8 trips. Analysis of the spending habits of the top 5% show an average of US$3,115 spent per person per vacation, compared with the typical U.S. traveler, who spends just US$1,347.
While Mexico, Canada and Europe are the most popular international destinations among all U.S. travelers, Caribbean destinations such as the Bahamas, Anguilla and the U.S. Virgin Islands stand out when it comes to attracting the top 1%.
Of the top 10 international places to visit in 2016 chosen by the wealthiest 1%, six ranked high for U.S. travelers in general. The top 1% chose these as their top ten destinations:
- Mexico (26%)
- Canada (24%)
- Italy (24%)
- England (22%)
- France (22%)
- Germany (14%)
- *Bahamas (14%)
- *Anguilla (13%)
- *Australia (12%)
- *U.S. Virgin Islands (11%)
*These destinations are not among the top 10 destinations of U.S. travelers in general.