11thHourVacations.com
reports that more and more people are likely to travel at the last minute. This trend contributed to a record first quarter for the company.
Trends Research, a market research firm also based out of Greenville, SC, conducted an online survey of 1,000 visitors, in which 84 percent said they are considering a last minute vacation this year. Additionally, 60 percent reported they are more likely to travel at the last minute than they were previously. The reasons cited for an increase in last minute vacations include “accessibility of last minute specials via the internet” (29 percent) as well as “low prices on last minute travel that are too good to ignore” (26 percent).

The rise in last minute travel may be due in part to its cost effectiveness. Over half of the respondents stated they get the best travel deals when booking less than one month in advance of departure. With the plethora of bargains available, 73 percent of travelers said they anticipate spending $1,000 or less on a spontaneous getaway. Over half of respondents (54 percent) mentioned they consider “last minute” vacations to be those booked less than 15 days prior to departure. What`s more, 58 percent stated their last minute jaunts are more than four days in duration.

When asked where they want to travel, respondents ranked destinations within the U.S. as the most popular; Caribbean destinations were voted a close second; followed by Mexico and Europe. Among vacation types, travelers favored resort vacations and cruises as the last minute getaways they are most apt to take.

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