Loyalty Programs Drive Travel Decisions

With gas prices down and more money in the pockets of Americans, Choice Hotels International, Inc. reveals the findings from its annual summer travel survey, which tracks the travel habits of American leisure and business travelers. The findings show that loyalty programs are a major driver in travelers’ decisions.
 
Here are some key findings:
 

• Leisure travelers are out in force.
• Loyalty programs drive trip decisions. Almost two-thirds (61%) of travelers say that loyalty programs and points impact where they choose to stay on vacation. And 57% say they save up all their hotel loyalty points to use toward a summer vacation.
• Doing it for the Instagram. Almost one in 10 travelers say their summer travels are motivated by the opportunity to brag to friends and family on social media.
• Loyalty points in the bank. Almost half of American travelers (44%) have a lot of hotel loyalty points stashed up, but no time to use them.
• Three in five (62%) business travelers add leisure vacations onto their business trips.
• Nearly seven in ten (69%) business travelers extend their business trips with leisure time as a way to have free time away from their spouse and/or kids.

Research findings are based on a survey fielded in the United States in March 2016. For this survey, 1,000 adults 18+ who have traveled in the past year for leisure were asked about their thoughts regarding various aspects of travel and specifically summer travel. Of the 1,000 leisure travelers, those who had traveled for business in the past year were also asked a series of questions. The survey was completed through Lightspeed GMI's double opted-in panelists who have registered to participate in online surveys.