Where holiday choices are really made

I'm feeling vindicated this morning as I read a Press Association article based on some research that Best Western have conducted:

Laptop-loving teenage boys are proving the driving force when it comes to deciding on destinations and activities for family holidays, a poll has revealed.

OH REALLY! What a suprise! (not) I've been saying exactly this, over & over for ages. Most recently in November here (1st bullet point, 2nd para).

Travel companies and their marketeers need to grasp this. Purchasing decisions on family holidays are made differently now...

1. Children have a much greater, often final, influence on the decision.
   
   


2. They don't read newspapers.

Best Western's research keypoint on this, was that 14-year-old boys are much more likely than their fathers to choose vacations.

The main focus of the research was about Internet use while on holiday - very interesting for those involved in the free/not free hotel wi-fi debate.

It shows that a quarter of the people surveyed would not go on holiday without a computer and, not surprisingly (again), that over half of teenagers spend up to 90 mins a day online when on holiday. For a quarter of them, having access to the Internet in their hotel room is more important than having a TV or free food.

And 'heads up' local tourist boards and attraction owners...

What do those teenagers do when they are online, in destination?

After, keeping in touch with mates on social networking sites, they research things to do locally.