Group Travel Scoop - Groople.com

Business Travel Update

Here we go with another travel economics update. We’ve been bringing you stories about how places like Las Vegas and other leisure destinations should be getting cheaper in the coming months as the economy slows. Expect leisure travel to become more affordable.

The same does not hold true for higher end business travel. There's new evidence that this segment of the travel business is doing well.

Bjorn Hanson, a consultant at PricewaterhousCooper’s, sees overall hotel growth of .8% in the United States with only a 2.2% increase in new rooms, leading to increased hotel prices. The growth coming largely from business class. Higher end demand is the most stable of all.

Internationally don’t expect any higher end discounts either. Growth in many international destination is growing at a clip of 4% or more.

The basic point is demand is softening, but not across the board. With demand still moderately increasing and hotel room availability growing slowly, prices shouldn’t decrease much at higher end properties.

"No Decline for Business Hotels in 2008" by Nick Passmore from BusinessWeek was reviewed for this report.

Group Travel to America's Festivals

One more causulty of the slowing economy for Group Travel…

Many groups plan pilgrimages to festivals of all kinds. This we know. The United States is teeming with festivals for nearly any interest. This we also know. What you might not know is the nation is seeing a rash of cancelled festivals this year. Granted, most of the cancelled festivals are not the largest, but many are still well attended.

I get this information from personal experience but also from a story I reviewed by Emily Fredrix.

She highlights case of the Harbor Fest music festival in Racine, Wis where the event organizers were forced to cancel their festival on the shores of Lake Michigan. The cause? Rising costs, lower attendance, and a huge drop in corporate sponsorship.

Many festivals rely on donations and corporate sponsorship to operate. According to Emily Fredrix’s article, in the past, only 80% of festivals were able to break even. With such tight margins and relying on donations and sponsorships it’s no wonder many festivals are closing down for the year, such things tend to dry up fast in slower economic times.

It’s not terrible out there, but if you’re planning on taking your group to a medium to small sized festival, double check with the organizers to make sure they’re still going to hold it this year. Word to the wise.

More Indications Group Travel May be Getting Cheaper Soon

My fellow watchers all of group travel news, listen up.

Group Hotel Demand in the United States is weaker than expected. We get this information from a very reliable source, Mr Marriott himself.

Speaking at engagements associated with New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, J. W. Marriott Jr. (of Marriott Hotel fame) told his audience that he expects demand in the United States market to be softer than expected.

This was not a conference for the layman so he was using hotel marketing jargon like a decrease in growth of Marriott’s "RevPAR" to describe the weakening hotel demand. RevPAR just means revenue per room, or more simply how much money Marriott makes off all the rooms they have to sell. You know when these guys start talking about "softening RevPAR" they’re serious.

Mr. Marriott attributes the weakening demand to less weekend leisure demand and less last minute Group travel business.

Last minute Group travel business is good for hotels because they can charge more for them.

The bottom line on this story is to look for more group incentives in Marriott’s and elsewhere in the coming months. Also, book ahead to get the best rates! You heard it from Mr. Marriott himself…

Group Travel with a weak dollar

The dollar is falling, the dollar is falling! US on sale…everything must go!

I do have a degree in economics and I must say statements like that are not all that true. But it is true that traveling to Europe and Asia has gotten a lot more expensive over the past couple years. The dollar is not the baddest kid on the block for now.

So you’re a corporate travel manager in charge of selecting a location for an incentives getaway, where to? For that question and anyone asking "where to?" with a weak dollar, listen up I have some suggestions for you.

Group travel destinations where the dollar is still strong

The United States- First and foremost. The United States still has relatively low inflation and the dollar is just fine at home. Just about every domestic destination is on sale right now.

The Caribbean- the U.S. dollar still goes a long way here.

South Africa- the dollar is worth 7.5 South African rand. Be sure to visit Capetown and experience an afternoon drive down to the Cape of Good hope. Witness where to oceans collide.

Argentina- The Argentine peso has just one-third the value of the dollar. Plenty of deals to be had. For example, The Moreno Hotel in Buenos Aires, with amenities that include 1920s furnishings and artwork, LCD-screen televisions and a Jacuzzi in each premium suite. The hotel, just a few blocks from main square Plaza de Mayo, is surrounded by art galleries, antique and craft fairs, museums, the flea market, tango halls, restaurants and nightclubs. Starting at just $95 per night.

My guess is the dollar will be back on its way up in no time and it’ll be time to visit good ‘ole Europe. In the meantime, take your group somewhere new.

Troubled Summer for Group Travel Flights

Summer time blues.

United Airlines profits are down. Oil is up. Delta’s schedule is reduced.

What this spells is a bad summer for the flying public. The CEO of Delta has told news agencies he expects airlines to raise fares 15 to 20 percent just to break even.

Planes will be fuller and fares more expensive this summer. Hardest hit will be fares to smaller cities. Airlines have less competition to these lesser flown routes and have a greater capacity to raise fares and still sell the tickets.

What this all means for group travel is clear. Buy now! Fares over the summer will keep going up from now till the foreseeable future. The best way to beat the price increase is buying now. Saving the expected 20% fare increase by buying now is very significant for group travel when many tickets are involved.

So if you’re putting off planning your group trip, don’t any longer. You’re wallet will not be pleased if you do.

A Ho! Ho! Ho! Po Po Poll! When to start with Holiday Decorations?

Every year it seems begins the hot debate about when is the proper time for retailers to put up holiday decorations and start playing holiday music? Many of our regular reader-travelers already know that from city to city it isn't different...the holiday season seems to begin earlier each year.

So we'd like to know what you think? Do you like your holiday cheer earlier and earlier? When is the proper time to start the fun?

Take a second and click an answer on our fun little poll and we can see what the world of group travel thinks of holiday decoration timing!

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Happy Memorial Day Holiday

I want to wish everyone a safe and restful Memorial Day weekend. I hope you get to enjoy time with your friends and family.

Head to the mountains, the beach, or your personal favorite places.

A little bit of history on the Memorial Day holiday. The first official celebration of Memorial Day was in 1868, when it was observed as Decoration Day. This day was originally set aside as a day to honor and remember the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. The town of Waterloo, New York is officially credited with the first Memorial Day observance in 1865, but 1868 marks the first official national observance. Communities in both the North and the South recognized the sacrifice of their soldiers during these times, though not always on the same day in May. Decoration Day became Memorial Day in 1882, at which time the soldiers of previous wars were recognized as well. Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 during Lyndon Johnson's presidency.

Be safe on the roads, everyone.

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager

Which Historic Traveler Would You Invite on Your Trip?

Just for fun, please respond to our new poll question. For your next group trip, which historic traveler would you invite to lead your expedition? I will post the results when the poll closes.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Thanks,

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager

Mancations - The verdict is in

All right, I think we can put this question to rest. The verdict is in, and one of the latest marketing buzzwards, "mancation" is apparently very lame. The word just doesn't roll off the tongue. It almost makes you gag to say it. So apparently marketers aren't as hip as we like to think.

Nearly 80 percent of those who took the mancation poll think mancation is either "very lame" or would never admit to having participated in a mancation. I am firmly in your camp, and I believe that a guys weekend or friends getaway and any number of much more appropriate terms describe the great trips you are already taking.

Now is definitely a great time to plan that guys weekend for the upcoming summer season. In another poll I recently ran, Napa Valley topped a list including Vegas and San Diego as a favorite destination for trips with friends. Decide for yourself, and find the perfect hotel for your trip today.

Booking Group Travel Online

Because I am a marketer in the travel industry, I pay a lot of attention to articles on how consumers book their travel. It is really interesting to see how many articles come out touting the advantages of booking your travel in X, Y, or Z manner. Of course, the hotels recommend the advantages of booking direct. The major online travel sites proclaim their superiority, and other discount brands pontificate on the great deals to be found online. While I am certain that every travel provider has only the consumer's best interest in mind every time they  put out a press release or provide a quotation to a journalist, one point is often missed.

You, as a consumer have more choices in how you book travel than ever before. I try to be aware of this every day I come to work because I know that every Groople customer chooses our company from a range of options. We work hard to provide something of value to the travel consumer. We take pride in what we put up on our website. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how proud we are of our website. What matters is how you, the traveler feel about our website. Here are features I value on our website:

• Group or event specific hotel search results - we return a different set of hotel options depending on whether you tell us you are a corporate meeting trip or a sports team traveling to a weekend tournament. We help you find the right hotel for you
• We do not charge additional cancellation fees if you have to cancel your booking - many online travel sites charge cancellation penalties in addition to any cancellation penalties the hotel might charge. Many sites have severe cancellation penalties that go along with their discounted rates. At Groople, we certainly adhere to the cancellation policies set forth by our hotel partners. However, we never charge additional cancellation penalties or fees beyond what the hotel requires. We always do give our best effort to explain clearly what the cancellation deadlines are and the penalties incurred once a deadline is past.
• The ability to book your hotel rooms as a group and to let each individual group member pay for his or her room. That way, no one is left footing the bill
• At Groople, you can book exactly the number of rooms you need for your trip. Other sites limit the number of rooms you can book on a single booking

The best place for you to book travel is measured by where you shop and buy travel - not by where someone tells you to shop. There is no one size fits all travel site, and that is clear from all the options you have available to you. We are working dilligently to create smarter, easier to use travel planning and booking tools. Our business is growing, and we appreciate each customer that chooses to book with Groople.

Perhaps you just like to check in on the Group Travel Scoop and have not chosen to book with Groople. Is there something you would like to see on our site? Are there tools, articles, and information that would help make it easier for you to plan and book travel online?

Please let us know. We are eager to hear your comments and suggestions,

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager

As alwasy, feel free to contact me directly at patricksoch@groople.com , or post your comments right here for everyone's benefit.

Group Travel Video Contest

Announcing Groople.com's "Best Group Travel Video Contest". We expect this to be a lot of fun, and the more the people that participate, the better. We are running a contest on Youtube for the best group travel video. Submit a video from a recent group trip. It can be from a family reunion, destination wedding, sports team trip, corporate meeting, incentive trip, or any trip with a group of fellow travelers. The contest runs from January 25 through March 31, 2007. Be sure to submit something compelling, amusing, and entertaining because the most viewed video wins the contest. The Grand Prize is a free trip for up to five people, including hotel accommodations and airfare. The hotel prize is provided by Wyndham Hotel Group, and the airfare provided by Frontier airlines:

Post Your Best Group Travel Video Now - CLICK HERE

To see official contest rules, CLICK HERE

Group Collaboration and Online Group Travel Booking

We really appreciate everyone who has read the Group Travel Scoop and who has visited the redesigned website. As a team, we have provided a unique online venue for booking your group travel.

We designed our site to meet two important needs for groups booking travel. First, our hotel search tool returns hotel results that match criteria specific to each group or event type. This makes the group leader's job much easier when trying to find the perfect hotel for his or her group.

Second, we built in some great features to help your groups easily communicate and collaborate regarding an upcoming trip. Once you identify a short list of hotels, save your selections, and invite your group members to go online and vote for their favorites. This helps you efficiently solicit input to quickly make a choice everyone will be happy with. By including the entire group in the planning process, all members can be included from start to finish.

Once you have your hotel choice, book online. Then you can either pay for the entire booking, or you can invite group members to pay individually for their rooms online.

Search for a hotel now, and please let us know how we are doing.

We are striving to make group travel easier, more fun, more effective - better. We sincerely want your feedback and comments to help us better meet your group travel needs.

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager

Mancations - A Guys Getaway by Any Other Name . . .

The travel industry has a new buzzword for a group of guys getting together for a fantastic golf weekend, Vegas poker trip, or a trip to a race track where everyone gets to experience the thrill of driving a race car.

Mancation is what they are calling it, and according to Matt Lauer on the Today Show it is a growing trend. A mancation is what happens when you call up 10 of your college roommates or your dearest friends and you plan that trip to Scottsdale, Arizona to play golf and drink beer for three days. A mancation is that trip to Las Vegas you arranged for that same group of guys. You can view the Today Show segment by Clicking Here to find out more about the trips guys are taking.

Hotels, resorts, and spas are all geared up to cater to this growing trend. Not only can you go to Scottsdale for three days and play world-class golf. Combine it with a massage at the end of the day, fine cigars, scotch, and all the fine trimmings. Today's guys getaways are not only popular, they are increasingly upscale.

A mancation is not just a getaway, it can be the trip of a lifetime. Get together those friends, and spend a week in St. Andrews, Scotland playing on the courses where golf was invented. For a real touch of history and class, book a stay at the Old Course Hotel.

For an adrenaline filled experience, enjoy the thrill of driving a NASCAR race car at one of Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure's locations from Talladega to Kansas City. Let everyone test his skills on the track, and just imagine the stories you will bring home with you.

Find a great group hotel rate for your guys getaway.

Men of the world unite for your Trips (but don't forget to encourage your wife to take that Girlfriends Getaway, too!)

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager

Sigh of Relief for Group Travelers: 2006 Hurricane Season Ends

It is with a collective sigh of relief that we bid adieu to the 2006 Hurricane Season that comes to a close today.  The Groople Global Event Crises Team tracked only six storms this year, and not a single hurricane made landfall in the United States this year.  We did have eight potential transactions in the path of this year's storms but not one cancellation.  What a change from 2005, which no one will soon forget.

For cruise travelers and for those headed to Mexico and the Caribbean, the end of hurricane season means the end of possible itinerary changes, cancellations, and danger. For everyone who lives in hurricane country, the end of a relatively uneventful hurricane season is a big relief.

Here at Groople, we are thankful for the gentle season that just passed. Now is a great time to plan that trip to the Caribbean, Cancun, Jamaica, and the Southeastern & Gulf States. Caribbean all-inclusive resorts offer great amenities for groups and the convenience of meals, drinks and entertainment for one price. The Gulf States have fantastic venues for meetings, reunions, and will welcome your group of travelers with open arms.

Find great group hotel rates today

Asking Users to Help Make Online Group Travel Better

At Groople.com, we are striving to make online group travel better everyday. We are asking you, our users to help us. You are our most valuable partners in this endeavor. How can you help us?

1) Send us your comments and feedback online here at the Group Travel Scoop. We take your suggestions about how to improve group travel seriously and appreciate the conversations.

2) Send me an email at patricksoch@groople.com, and ask me about becoming a guest author on our Group Travel blog space. I would love to include your great city tips and planning information and any other helpful hints you have for fellow travelers. Learn something new about planning group travel online.

3) keep reading the Group Travel Scoop - we are always adding new planning tips, lists of activities, and new developments in group travel.

Happy Holidays,

Patrick Soch, Senior Marketing Manager