Pulse April 2021 | Page 57

reporting travelers ’ motivations for upcoming trips . Forty-two percent of respondents indicated that relaxing or escaping stress was a primary motivation for upcoming travel , the same amount that reported that spending time with family is a primary reason for their next trip . Participating in outdoor recreation ( 50 percent ) and connecting with nature ( 46 percent ) are among the experiences travelers are most eager to have , which may offer spas in more remote locations — or those with nearby access to natural environments and outdoor recreational activities — an opportunity to appeal directly to what potential visitors are seeking on their upcoming getaways .

Speaking of direct appeals , Destination Analysts ’ report indicates that American travelers are increasingly receptive to travel advertising as well . In mid-February , 56 percent of respondents reported being highly open to travel inspiration , while 39 percent said that the last travel destination ad they saw made them feel “ happy ” or “ very happy .” Websites are high on the list of channels in which Americans are most highly receptive to travel ads , with 30 percent of millennials ( ages 25 to 40 ) and 37 percent of Generation X ( ages 41 to 56 ) ranking them first . Baby boomers ( ages 57 to 75 ) remained most receptive to broadcast TV ads ( 35 percent ranked them first ), although website ads ( 29 percent ) were not far behind .

Facebook feeds , meanwhile , continue to be an effective channel for promoting travel to millennials ( 22 percent of whom said they were most receptive to ads found there ) and Generation X ( 19 percent of whom said the same ). Baby boomers are the group most receptive to ads that land in their inboxes , with 21 percent reporting they were most receptive to email travel advertisements .

This research suggests that spas — particularly those in the resort / hotel sector — could be facing the most receptive audience they have had since the COVID-19 pandemic forced so many of them to temporarily halt operations a year ago . That Americans are taking concrete steps to plan leisure trips ( and that travelers are citing stress relief as a primary motivation for those trips ) may indicate a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel regarding travelers ’ more widespread return to spas .

A greater receptiveness to travel overall may also potentially indicate decreasing levels of anxiety surrounding returning to public spaces , including spas , for those in areas where that hesitancy has remained high . In consumer research conducted by ISPA at the beginning of the pandemic , consumers reported being more nervous about flying than about visiting a spa . If that trend has held over the last year , then Destination Analysts ’ numbers may indeed be a reason for optimism among spa leaders .

There is , of course , still a long way to go until travelers have their full confidence in travel restored , but it will be the hope of every spa leader that the trends outlined here continue to head in the right direction as 2021 rolls on . n

Receptiveness to Ad Types by Generation

WEBSITE

37 %

39 %

FACEBOOK 19 %

EMAILS

21 %