Travel industry missing trick with 30-something singles
- Added:
- Nov 25, 2008
Singles aged between 31-45 years old cannot find a holiday which suits their needs, according to new research for user experience consultancy Foviance.
Foviance’s research demonstrates how a focus on customer experience can help to create markets, drive sales and increase customer satisfaction, as 68% of respondents said they would travel on their own if they could find the right holiday.
A survey of 530 respondents, with an even breakdown between men and women, all of which had travelled at least once in the last year, found that half had in the past chosen not to go on holiday to avoid what they feared would be the typical ‘singles’ holiday.
The full research report entitled “Making the intangible tangible” found the travel sector is missing out on a massive opportunity by not understanding the needs of a large potential market. While most travel companies know the basics about customers such as their age, sex and where they live, they fail to understand who these people really are and what they want out of a holiday.
The main reason behind this age group choosing not to travel (as a single person) was that they had no one to go away with (31%). 10% of people also admitted to being embarrassed that they were single. This embarrassment was not only felt during the booking phase but also while on holiday.
Location, meeting like-minded people of a similar age group and being away from younger singles’ parties were all cited as priorities. They felt what was on offer from the travel industry does not suit their needs.
Creating a positive customer experience depends on providing a holistic experience which supports every step of the customer interaction. While companies are finding it difficult to design consistent customer experiences that differentiate them as an organisation, by understanding customers and creating products that meet their expectations, there is also a significant opportunity to become a trusted advisor and ultimately maximise the relationship in monetary terms.
Currently, friends are seen as the most trusted source of information on singles holidays (25%), with websites coming a close second (21%). The least trusted source of information came from direct marketing (21%), blogs (18%), TV (13%), lifestyle magazines (11%) and travel press (11%).
Marty Carroll, consultancy director, Foviance said: “Organisations’ lack of understanding means that most focus on selling products and services rather than concentrating on delivering customer experiences. The end result is a fragmented product or service experience, delivered to a target audience which has been defined by a marketing tool developed for a market environment that no longer exists.
“Once organisations start focusing on who their customers really are what they love and hate and what they are missing out on, real customer experiences can be created. Companies that do not evolve and deliver exceptional customer experiences risk losing sales and market share to those that do.”