With the new national focus on economizing, green living and getting back to basics, 2009 promises to be a year of change in many areas of our lives, including travel. Here’s a look at what’s hot and what’s not for 2009.
NOT:
Staycations: Americans read a lot about staying home in 2008, but it didn’t happen. We like our playtime, and a run-up of fuel costs didn’t change that.
HOT:
Savecations: Americans are looking for ways to cut costs this year without giving up their family getaways. RVIA’s latest Campfire Canvass survey of RV owners found that 85 percent will travel at least as much this winter as they did last year, if not more.
NOT:
Overspending: It’s no surprise that the economy is making consumers look for more bang for their vacation buck.
HOT:
Value: Saving is the new spending. A recent study showed that RVing is 27 to 61 percent less expensive than other forms of travel. Some 30 million Americans already enjoy the value that RV vacations offer. More than 80 percent of RVers say they save when they travel by RV.
NOT:
Air Travel: High fares, long lines, baggage fees and only three ounces of shampoo.
HOT:
Road Trips: Bring what you want; it’s your vacation. Take it all with you — including the kitchen sink, a large bottle of shampoo and a case of water.
NOT:
Cruising: All the stomach-flu outbreaks, cramped cabins and tight schedules. It’s easier to feel more like the hapless Gilligan than the charming Captain Stubing.
HOT:
Cruising the country’s highways and byways. Sitting in the plush captain’s chair and charting your own course — now that’s freedom.
NOT:
Eating Out on Vacation: Expensive. Eating out while on vacation does two things: 1) subtracts from your bottom line and 2) adds to your waistline.
HOT:
Eating In on Savecation: RVs come equipped with gourmet kitchens. Emeril, Rachael Ray, Mario Batali and other famous chefs have prepared meals in RVs. It’s healthier for your body and wallet when you take a stocked fridge, stove and microwave with you.
NOT:
The Old Fly/Hotel/Car Rental Vacation: It’s costly, and hard on the environment. Eating Out on Vacation: Expensive. Eating out while on vacation does two things: 1) subtracts from your bottom line and 2) adds to your waistline.
HOT:
Smaller and Smaller: A 2008 study by PKF Consulting proved family RV trips leave a smaller carbon footprint than the old fly/hotel/car rental trip. RV makers are producing lighter, more energy-efficient units. Almost 20 percent of owners now use solar panels on their rigs to further reduce their energy consumption.
SOURCE: RV Industry Association press release
