SYDNEY, 9 December 2008. – TNS, the global market insight and information group, has today launched the results of its 2008 Domesticate study into why the domestic tourism and travel market is in decline, and how to get Australians travelling at home again.
One significant finding from the study – which in 2008 focused on the family and ‘adultescent’ (aged 18-30) market – was that Australian children are more interested in spending time on holiday with Mum and Dad than getting the latest gadget, game or fad. Even the majority of teenagers favour a holiday over tangible items, though it may not always come across this way to their parents.
“Understanding the importance of holidays to children was a key finding for us in this study,” said Carolyn Childs, Director of TNS Travel and Leisure.
“Using this information to develop targeted marketing strategies is key to helping our domestic tourism market regain its strength.
“Children are incredibly smart. They realise that holidays represent a special time that parents work hard for. A holiday is the only time to get their parents’ full attention, away from bills and the interruptions of daily life.
“This year’s Domesticate found that kids, including teenagers, are unlikely to pester their parents for a holiday, like they would for a Wii or a new bike. However, given the choice, they would rather have the holiday.”
And for younger children especially, the holiday could be anywhere – like a caravan park two hours away – as long as the environment is different from home and they are with Mum and Dad.
Ms Childs reiterates: “Australia presents so much variety, something for everyone, but Domesticate really highlights that travel and tourism operators need to start communicating to their target markets with the right messages and that there is a huge opportunity for those catering to the needs of families.”
The report from the study provides more detail into reasons for this difference between what children want and what parents think they want. It also explores the attitudes and perceptions of the 18-30 year old segment and provides implications and recommendations for those working at national and regional levels.
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About Domesticate 2008
In 2006, TNS in conjunction with its founding partner Tourism Research Australia, conducted a study into the state of the Australian domestic travel market to understand its long-term decline. There had been considerable debate as to the causes of this decline and most of the analysis produced was focused on the ‘what’ of the trend, rather than the ‘why’.
Domesticate 2008 focused on two key segments of the 2006 study – families and adultescents – as the 2006 study showed they felt ‘ignored’ in marketing terms. Besides a sense that they were less understood, these segments are important because they represent the future of travel.
Domesticate 2008 supplies the reasons inhibiting Australians from travelling domestically and helps local travel and tourism operators (destinations, airlines, accommodation, etc.) to adjust their communications to meet the needs of their target markets.
To find out more about how to boost the Australian domestic travel industry, contact TNS Travel and Leisure, 02 9563 4200, or log in to the Domesticate 2008 webinar at 3pm 9 December by contacting tnscommunications.au@tns-global.com.
About TNS
TNS is a global market information and insight group.
Its strategic goal is to be recognised as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help its clients make more effective business decisions.
TNS delivers innovative thinking and excellent service across a network of 80 countries. Working in partnership with clients, TNS provides high-quality information, analysis and insight that improves understanding of consumer behaviour.
TNS is the world’s leading provider of customised services, combining sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of Product Development & Innovation, Brand & Communications, Stakeholder Management and Retail & Shopper. TNS is a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and audience measurement services.
TNS is the sixth sense of business™.
www.tnsglobal.com
The Kantar Group
The Kantar Group is one of the world's largest research, insight and consultancy networks. By uniting the diverse talents of more than 20 specialist companies – including the recently- acquired TNS – the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and actionable insights for the global business community. Its 26,500 employees work across 80 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at each and every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. The Kantar Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP Group plc. For further information, please visit www.kantargrouptns.com
