Jaunted - Tag: Surveys

Survey Travel: Brits Heading to All the Globe's Corners

amandak — 2008-10-24T10:26:21-05:00

In the UK, another travel survey's been done to serve the needs of another travel company. OK, cynicism aside, the recent discoveries of Opodo are actually pretty interesting: Their theory is that a relatively strong Euro and pound have had British travelers heading further away from Europe for their vacations.

The first weird thing is that the destination which has really taken off is Lima which has had an almost 100 percent increase in bookings. We're guessing these travelers are actually en route to Machu Picchu, but the survey makers are letting us draw our own conclusions.

Other spots where you're likely to find a sudden influx of British travelers include the eclectic mix of Jordan, Cairo, South Korea and Bulgaria. Of course, following the example of the naughty Brit who pretended to be Spanish, you may not even know you're traveling amongst Britons.

[Photo: markg6]

TripAdvisor Survey: Travelers Fear Germy Planes, Love Provocative Dress, Crave Eco-Adventures

Victor Ozols — 2008-10-04T14:22:25-05:00

The opinion-sharing folks over at TripAdvisor recently released their latest annual survey on the top trends in travel. This year's obsession: germs on a plane. We probably would have pegged cruise ships as the most likely place to come down with a nasty case of the scoots from touching an exposed surface, but apparently most people fear picking up a bug while in the tubular confines of an airplane. Out of 2,500 respondents, 28 percent were concerned about germs, bacteria, and viruses onboard airplanes, while others reported having germaphobia relating to public transit, restaurants, hotels, and airports. The report should be good news for manufacturers of hand sanitizer, Wet-Naps, and Airborne dietary supplements, as travelers appear willing to try anything that might keep the creepy crawlies away.

Best of Britain: Fish and Chips Score Number 1 Spot

amandak — 2008-07-10T09:15:14-05:00

If you ask the British what the best things are about living in the UK, you probably wouldn't expect to hear "food" topping the list. But that's exactly what happened when the Holiday Inn hotel chain ran a survey recently to discover 50 things Brits most love about their land.

Coming right on top, fish and chips is apparently the best reason to be in Britain. Other food and drink experiences in the top ten included old-fashioned pubs, a Sunday roast dinner and a "cream tea" in the afternoon.

While we personally don't travel to Britain for its food, some of the other things on the British best-loved list are also not convincing reasons for us to hop on a plane: the queen came in at #2, the ever-more-expensive British pound at #9 and the National Health Service at #14. We've got a feeling the British need to get out more.

Related Stories:
· Fish and Chips Voted No. 1 in Best of British Poll [Telegraph]
· Great Britain Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: hugovk]

Brits Might Be Champs of Pre-Vacation Arguments

amandak — 2008-06-23T10:15:01-05:00

This won't be the first time we've mentioned how Britons have "rows" instead of arguments. American Express did a survey about the current vacation habits of the British, given the so-called credit crunch, but discovered that most of them don't care about that at all--and think much more about holiday rows.

The stats show that almost half of the survey respondents argue about how much stuff is being crammed into suitcases before the trip even begins; two in five have arguments stemming from getting to the airport on time (or not).

The cost of a vacation and the kind of accommodation are also issues that induce quite a few arguments amongst traveling Brits, according to the survey. The biggest problem seems to come from people in Yorkshire--one in five have to turn around to pick up something they left at home.

Related Stories:
· Arguments More Concern Than Credit Crunch [Opodo]
· World's Worst Tourists coverage [Jaunted]
· United Kingdom Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: davescunningplan]

Survey Says: Airlines Suck More Than Ever

Hunter Walker — 2008-05-20T14:15:30-05:00

A new survey has found that travelers in the US are pissed off: For the first quarter of 2008, the US airlines collectively earned a 62 percent approval rating, their lowest since the September 11 attacks shook up the airline industry back in 2001.

The results of this latest survey reflect widespread dissatisfaction among frequent fliers. The lead expert behind the numbers told Reuters that air travel in America is "getting worse" because a lack of flight options allows poor service. Some airlines received survey scores in the low 50s, which makes them less popular than the IRS. Then again, as Chris Elliott says, "you need a survey to tell you that?"

So who sucked the most?

Switzerland Top for Tourists (Not Because of Chocolate)

amandak — 2008-03-10T09:12:32-05:00

If you're wondering which nations have the best tourism conditions, check the new World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Report. What the WEF measures is how "conducive" an environment is for travel and tourism--whatever that means--and the results make for interesting reading about the places that might be most welcoming to visitors.

Top of the list is Switzerland, closely followed by Austria and Germany, with Australia coming in fourth. Of the English-speaking nations, the UK is sixth, the United States seventh and Canada ninth.

What does that all mean? Well, they say that Switzerland is on top because it has great cultural and natural sites, useful transport and good training for tourism industry staff. Germany pops up high on the list because it's also good at dealing with business travelers and holding conventions.

At the bottom of the list--presumably destinations that just aren't able to cater to tourists at all--you'll find Chad, Burundi and Bangladesh. Surprisingly near the bottom of the list, there are also Cambodia, Namibia and Bosnia, which are all getting plenty of satisfied visitors these days. Just goes to show you can't believe everything a survey tells you.

Related Stories:
· Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report [WEF]
· New Zealand Rates High in Tourist Stakes [NZ Herald]
· Switzerland and Austria Top for Tourism [TravelBite]

[Photo: flappingwings]

Paris: Paris, the City of Arguments

amandak — 2008-02-12T09:00:02-05:00

And to think we'd always considered Paris the capital city of Love. It might be for some, but a recent British survey unearthed the disturbing result that 34 percent of British travelers consider it:

the city most likely to cause them to argue on a romantic break, with lovers' moods darkened by a "grey" and "difficult to navigate" city and surly restaurant service.

What might be worse is the fact that 10 percent of Britons surveyed have ended their relationship while on vacation with their partner. That makes going on holidays sound kind of risky.

Other top cities for arguments and break-ups included Marrakesh, Morocco and Amsterdam, so take these results to heart next time you're planning your hopefully-romantic trip.

Related Stories:
· Scant Entente Cordiale for British Lovers in Paris [Reuters]
· 'Til Travel Do Us Part [Budget Travel]
· Pam to Paris for V-Day [Jaunted]

[Photo: smudie]