Innkeeper News

Home | Your Inn's Image| Advertising Auctions | Calendar of Events

Our Members Speak Out | Promoting the Industry | Time for a Smile | Travel Trends

May 2005

Time For A Smile

Chocolate Lover’s Magic for 2005:

First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate. (more than once but less than 10) .
Multiply this number by 2.
Add 5.
Multiply it by 50.
If you have already had your birthday this year add 1755; if not add 1754.
Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are…
Your age!

You’d be a little crabby too! We’ve all been inconvenienced by a flat tire or a dead battery, but pity the visitor to the Krabi Royal Hotel in southern Thailand, who was unable to move his car because of the 15-foot-long python curled up underneath! “Quite how rescue volunteers and police managed to entice the snake out from under the car remains unclear, but after an hour they eventually succeeded in bagging it up, and the tourist was able to drive off. Police said that the python would be released back into the wild.” Details here

Get a Life Department: Certainly one of the most eccentric travel websites we’ve ever seen is airlinemeals.net, self-described as the “world’s leading site about nothing but airline meals.” No kidding. Folks submit ratings, photos, and message board comments on airline food they’ve been served. Strange but slightly addictive!

Travel Trends

Growth in online travel sales: “Online commerce sales will grow to $142.5 billion this year, up 21 percent from last year’s $117.7 billion, according to a retail trends report released Tuesday by research firm eMarketer. […] Broadband adoption has been a key driver in the double-digit growth of online shopping, the report concluded. Nearly two-thirds, of U.S. Internet users with broadband make online purchases, compared to 49% of dial-up users, according to eMarketer. “

Leisure travel hits six year high: According to the Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich Partners 2005 National Leisure Travel Monitor, “the percentage of adult Americans who have taken at least one overnight trip of more than 75 miles from home has risen to the highest level observed since 1999. Fully 58% of American adults took such a trip during the past 12 months (up from 49%), of which one third took at least one trip primarily for business and 93% took at least one trip primarily for pleasure. The results of the survey suggest that demand for both domestic and international travel services will continue to grow in the year ahead, notwithstanding any concerns about safety and security or the rising cost of gasoline. Among other things, the survey revealed:

68% of adults took at least one leisure trip with a spouse or another adult, while 37% took at least one trip with children (a significant increase), and fully 26% took at least one vacation alone;
Weekend vacations(4 nights or less including a Saturday) now represent 56% of all vacations taken by Americans, although there has been an increase in the incidence of vacations lasting more than five nights;
30% of adults are planning to take fewer vacations in the year ahead, and “not able to get away from my job/work” is the most frequently-cited reason why;
Trips that include a naturalistic element remain very popular, with the incidence of beach/lake vacations rising significantly;
20% of active travelers took an international trip during the previous 12 months, although 60% say they are less likely to take such a trip in the year ahead if the U.S. dollar continues to decline against other major world currencies;
The Internet is now used exclusively for vacation planning purposes by 56% of all leisure travelers who are active hotel and airline users.

Travel costs increasing : “AAA's annual vacation costs survey reveals lodging and dining costs have increased a combined average of 5% since 2004. AAA's survey shows that a family of two adults and two children can expect to pay an average of $247 per day for food and lodging. Lodging rates will average $129 a night, up 3.9% from last year; meals will cost $118, up 6.5%.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that average daily hotel rates in 2005 will jump 4.3%, following a 3.9% increase in 2004. It expects rates to rise another 4.6% in 2006. Extra cost hotel services may include “arrival and departure charges, higher cancellation fees and automatic gratuities for housekeepers and bellmen.”

Increased profitability at U.S. Hotels: “PKF Hospitality Research Consulting projects profit growth in the 14-16% range for 2005. It says the typical U.S. hotel saw profits rise 11.4% in 2004 over 2003. The increase came after a three-year industry recession that brought with it a 36.2 percent decline in unit-level hotel profits during the period from 2001 through 2003.

Business travelers book online: According to a survey by Accenture of more than 550 U.S. business travelers, 71% book their business travel primarily online, as compared to 57% in 2003.

A National Business Travel Association survey shows a 3.8% increase in the number of business trips in the first six months of 2004, compared with the same period in 2003. A majority of the 2,043 business travelers surveyed said they believe corporate travel will recover to levels seen in 2000.” Many hotel chains are seeing little resistance to increased rates, especially at the high price ranges, as long as business travelers needs are met, especially for high-speed Internet access.

Family Travel Plans Up: “A recent online survey on family travel preferences conducted by Yahoo! Travel and National Geographic Traveler magazines found that 58% plan to take two or more family getaways in the next 12 months, compared to 48% last year. Road trips are the most popular choice for the family getaway, totaling 57%.

Summer travel plans: Site 59, a last-minute travel site, surveyed its members and found out the following information that 89% of surveyed customers are planning to take a leisure vacation this summer, with 38% of them planning more than three trips. The overwhelming majority, 95%, has not booked any travel yet, with half indicating that they will likely book within one month of departure.

Two-thirds of global Internet users on broadband: The Internet population that accessed the Internet via a broadband connection grew by an astounding 24%, according to The Face of the Web, the annual study of Internet trends by Ipsos-Insight. The year 2004 also marked the year when the U.S. migrated over to a predominantly broadband country, where close to six out of ten users accessed the Internet through some high-speed connection. The highest broadband adoption, however, was seen in France, Urban Brazil and the U.K., growing by 59%, 50%, and 45% respectively.

This Month's Sponsor

Online Trade Show

Click to visit our vendor members:

More vendor info...

Gift Certificates

BedandBreakfast.com Gift Certificates have changed to an electronic format. Funds for redeemed certificates will be transferred directly into your bank account within four business days! No more certificates to mail! Don't miss out! To join the 3600 participating inns, just log in to your home base with your property ID and password, or click here for more information.

Traffic statistics

Log in with your property ID and password for details on the number of page impressions and click-throughs your B&B has received as a result of all BedandBreakfast.com online marketing, including property listings, Featured Property, and Inn of the Month advertising. More information

Member Information

To update your entry, post specials, and renew your membership, please log in with your property ID and password. Can't remember your password? Click here, then enter your property ID and we'll email it to you. Don't like your password? Once you're logged in to Home Base, just click "Membership," select "change password" (#7 in dropdown menu), and choose another that's easier to remember. More information

Inns for Sale

"We advertised our B&B in your Inns for Sale section in January, and started getting inquires a week later. In February, a couple came from Florida to visit us in Cat Spring, Texas. We made a deal, and they begin officially on April the 5th as the new owners. What you are doing really works." Sunny and John Snyder. Read more...

Online Bookings

Taking real-time, online reservations is the most effective way to transform your BedandBreakfast.com listing into a 24/7 sales engine. For details, log in to your home base with your property ID and password, and click “Online Reservations.”

Innkeepers Information Center

Need more info? You’ll find lots of educational articles on our site for your convenience.