Understanding The Typical Vacations Of U.S. Southern Travelers

Abstract

This paper investigates important factors associated with vacation decisions made for typical vacations by U.S. southern travelers, an area given minimal focus in the marketing tourism literature. The paper effectively identifies key vacation influences to leisure travel which include distance, group size, vacation length, lead time, education level, income level, and age.  Additionally, the paper identifies nine unique types of southern vacation travelers using a cluster analysis approach. Ultimately, the paper offers a richer understanding of the pertinent factors influencing vacation decisions—particularly for individuals in the U.S. Southern region.