Hotel Survey Results Identify Five Traits of Target Market
Linda P. Morton
In a recent hotel survey, results identify five traits for the target market for hotels. These include age, education, income, social class and lifestyles, and reason-for-travel variables.
These demographics reveal characteristics that hotel managers and marketers should consider as they design their marketing strategies and tactics.
The Center of Hospitality Research, at Cornell University, administered the hotel survey.
Hotel Survey Results on Age
Half of all hotel customers are between age 41 and 55. Less than a quarter (20.5%) are younger, while almost a third (30%) are older. Thus, most hotel customers are in the Boomer generation.
Hotel Survey Results Reveals Education
Almost half (41.3%) of hotel customers have some college. Another 33 percent have completed a college degree (19.8%) or earned a graduate degree (13.2%). Barely a quarter have not completed some college, with only 1.7 percent not having graduated from high school, and only 24 percent having just a high school education.
Hotel Survey Results 3 - Income
Income is another important demographic revealed by the Cornell study. Most (43.9%) earned between $25,000 and $50,000. Only 15 percent made less than $25,000, while the remaining 41.1 percent earned more than $50,000.
Hotel Survey Results Reveals Social Class & Lifestyle
Income and education results from the Cornell survey indicate that most hotel customers are middle class and in the Achiever lifestyle.
Hotel Survey Results Reveal Purpose of Travel
The Cornell survey portrayed hotel customers as three-to-one leisure, rather than business, travelers.
Hotel Survey Results Portrays The Target Market
Together the above results reveal that the best target market for hotel customers today is middle-aged Boomers. This target market consists of college-educated professionals, who are willing to spend time and money to have fun with their family and friends.
Thus, hotel marketing resources will be most effective when spent on reaching this target market. To assure customers' satisfaction, hotel activities should also be allocated to serving them.
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