Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Holidays to the Americas & Caribbean up 22% since 2014 but the US segment has been flat
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- Figure 1: Holidays to North America volume forecast, 2014-24
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- Figure 2: Holidays to the Caribbean volume forecast, 2014-24
- Figure 3: Holidays to Central/South America volume forecast, 2014-24
- Companies and brands
- Virgin is the market leader
- Premium tailor-made tours are a growing product area
- Diversification and sustainable tourism
- The consumer
- Canada & Caribbean have the biggest potential for new visitors
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- Figure 4: Experience of and interest in visiting long-haul regions, August 2019
- New England attracts older Brits
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- Figure 5: interest in visiting regions in the US on holiday, August 2019
- Beach resorts, villas & cruises are the most in-demand Caribbean holidays
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- Figure 6: Interest in visiting islands in the Caribbean on holiday, August 2019
- Brazil is the sleeping giant of South American tourism
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- Figure 7: Interest in visiting destinations in South/Central America on holiday, August 2019
- Barriers to entry
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- Figure 8: Barriers to a holiday in the Americas & Caribbean, August 2019
- Women are most attracted by luxury & multi-centre holidays
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- Figure 9: Holiday opportunities in the Americas & Caribbean, August 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Improving the US brand image
- The facts
- The implications
- Going the distance
- The facts
- The implications
- New parents are the most likely to respond to the ‘magic of Disney’
- The facts
- The implications
- Spoiled for choice
- The facts
- The implications
- All-inclusives that include the local culture
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Holidays to the Americas and Caribbean up 5% in 2018…
- …But there has been a long-term decline in US holidays
- Caribbean recovering from severe 2017 hurricane season
- Mexico has driven the rapid rise of South/Central America
- Weak Pound has dampened demand for US but Sterling has fared better elsewhere
- Long-haul demand weakening
- Aviation competition may boost travel to the region
Market Size and Forecast
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- Four million holidays to Americas & Caribbean
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- Figure 10: Volume of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean, 2014-24
- Figure 11: Value* of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean, 2014-24
- Forecast
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- Figure 12: Holidays to North America volume forecast, 2014-24
- Figure 13: Holidays to North America value* forecast, 2014-24
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- Figure 14: Holidays to the Caribbean volume forecast, 2014-24
- Figure 15: Holidays to the Caribbean value* forecast, 2014-24
- Figure 16: Holidays to Central/South America volume forecast, 2014-24
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- Figure 17: Holidays to Central/South America value* forecast, 2014-24
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Holidays to the US led by New York & Orlando
- Jamaica, Barbados and Dominican Republic are the most popular Caribbean destinations
- Holidays to Mexico have risen 66% since 2014
- Brazil and Peru are next most popular South American destinations
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- Figure 18: Volume of holidays taken to destinations in the Americas & Caribbean, 2014-18
- Package tour operators dominate Caribbean & Central/South American holidays
- Collapse of Cook leaves a gap in Caribbean market
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- Figure 19: Volume of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean in 2018, package versus independently booked
- South/Central America has the longest duration holidays
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- Figure 20: Volume of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean in 2018, by duration
- Caribbean is the broadest all-year-round market
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- Figure 21: Volume of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean in 2018, by quarter of travel
- The Caribbean has the oldest age profile
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- Figure 22: Volume of holidays taken to the Americas & Caribbean in 2018, by age group
Market Background
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- Consumers cautious as uncertainty continues
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- Figure 23: UK average weekly earnings (excluding bonuses)* vs CPI inflation, percentage change year-on-year, January 2017-September 2019
- Pound weak against the Dollar but strong against Mexican peso
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- Figure 24: Sterling exchange rate versus selected currencies, annual averages, 2014-18, and spot rate 22 October 2019
- Long-haul travel volumes have dropped in 2019
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- Figure 25: Volume of short-haul and long-haul holidays, 2014-18
- Virgin Atlantic increases capacity to US and enters Brazil for the first time
- Norwegian also enters South America with low cost model
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Mass market is highly competitive
- Virgin Voyages launch in 2020 will target younger cruise clientele
- Premium tailor-made is a growing product area in the Americas & Caribbean
- Regional specialists
- Tourism diversification
- Slow travel
- Sustainable tourism
Companies and Brands
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- Generalists
- TUI
- Virgin Holidays
- Other long-haul & escorted tour specialists
- Caribtours
- Sandals
- Journey Latin America
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Diversifying from beach/theme park holidays
- Slow travel in North America
- Backpackers and flashpackers in Latin America
- Chilean Patagonia shows way ahead for sustainable tourism
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- US will remain the most popular destination but the largest new potential lies elsewhere
- New York, Florida & West Coast are the most popular US locations
- Bahamas is the most aspirational Caribbean destination
- Brazilian potential
- Nature tourism is a major draw for Canada
- Entry hassles, safety fears and politics seen as key barriers
Long-haul Holiday Regions Visited
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- 4 in 10 adults have visited the US on holiday
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- Figure 26: Long-haul regions visited on holiday, August 2019
- Men are more likely to go to the US than women
- High proportion of Londoners holiday in the Caribbean
Future Interest in Visiting the Americas & Caribbean
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- Canada & Caribbean have the biggest potential for new visitors…
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- Figure 27: Experience of and interest in visiting long-haul regions, August 2019
- …But the US is still the top priority destination
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- Figure 28: Main preference for visiting regions in the americas & caribbean, August 2019
Future Interest in Visiting North America
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- New York, Florida & West Coast are the places people most want to visit in the US
- New England has a strong appeal to over-55s
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- Figure 29: Interest in visiting regions in the US on holiday, August 2019
- City breaks are the most popular type of US holiday
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- Figure 30: Interest in holiday types in the US, August 2019
- City breaks & touring holidays are the most in-demand Canadian holidays
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- Figure 31: Interest in holiday types in Canada, August 2019
Future Interest in Visiting the Caribbean
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- The Bahamas tops the wish-list for Caribbean holidays
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- Figure 32: Interest in visiting islands in the Caribbean on holiday, August 2019
- Beach resorts, villas & cruises are the most popular holidays in the Caribbean
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- Figure 33: Interest in holiday types in the Caribbean, August 2019
Future Interest in Visiting Central/South America
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- Huge potential for holidays to Brazil
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- Figure 34: Interest in visiting destinations in South/Central America on holiday, August 2019
- Consumers show interest in a wide variety of holidays in South America
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- Figure 35: Interest in holiday types in South/Central America, August 2019
Holidays in the Americas & Caribbean – Demographics of Preferred Holiday Types
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- Beach/villa holidays appeal most to under-45s
- 33% of over-55s are interested in taking an escorted tour
- Cruises have a broad age appeal
- Fly-drive holidays have the strongest AB bias
- Parents with under-5s show the biggest interest in Disney World holidays
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- Figure 36: Interest in holiday types in the Americas & Caribbean, August 2019
Holidays in the Americas & Caribbean – Attractions and Barriers
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- Cities are the main attraction for holidays to the US
- Gastro appeal
- The US is no longer seen as a value-for-money destination
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- Figure 37: Attractions of a holiday in the US, August 2019
- Nature/wildlife is the main Canadian attraction
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- Figure 38: Attractions of a holiday in Canada, August 2019
- Caribbean visitors want more than a beach chill
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- Figure 39: Attractions of a holiday in the Caribbean, August 2019
- Cultural immersion is most important for holidays to Central/South America
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- Figure 40: Attractions of a holiday in Central/South America, August 2019
- Leading barriers
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- Figure 41: Barriers to a holiday in the Americas & Caribbean, August 2019
- Is there a ‘Trump slump’?
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- Figure 42: Holidays in the Americas and the Caribbean – CHAID – Tree output, August 2019
- Safety fears affect families the most
- Caribbean advice sought by visitors
Holidays in the Americas & Caribbean – Future Opportunities
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- Long-distance adventures appeal to Baby Boomer travellers
- Half of family travellers want to stay all-inclusive
- 37% of travellers are cultural explorers
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- Figure 43: Holiday opportunities in the Americas & Caribbean, August 2019
- Women are most attracted by Caribbean luxury…
- …And by multi-centre holidays
- Over-55s are the most likely to use specialist destination companies
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Definitions
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 44: Holidays to North America, volume forecast, 2019-24
- Figure 45: Holidays to North America, value* forecast, 2019-24
- Figure 46: Holidays to the Caribbean, volume forecast, 2019-24
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- Figure 47: Holidays to the Caribbean, value* forecast, 2019-24
- Figure 48: Holidays to the Central/South America, volume forecast, 2019-24
- Figure 49: Holidays to the Central/South America, value* forecast, 2019-24
- Forecast methodology
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