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Chain stores have Black Friday. Cyber Monday happens in online markets. For local businesses, it’s Small Business Saturday.
Over the past 20 years, more sectors of the retail industry have competed for their share of the holiday shopping season. The travel trade has firmly joined the trend with another sales promotion after Thanksgiving: Travel Tuesday
Just in time for the nonprofit world’s Giving Tuesday, airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies, travel booking platforms and tour operators join in the annual spirit of spending by promoting one-day deals. Consumer advocates say there are legitimate savings to be had, but also the potential to be misled by marketing that conveys a false sense of urgency.
,People See ’40 percent off’ and assume it’s a once-in-a-lifetime steal, without recognizing that the underlying price has been inflated or that the same itinerary was cheaper last month. rebellion Frenchsaid a travel expert at personal finance site NerdWallet.
He and other experienced travelers advised consumers who want to see if they can save money by booking trips on Travel Tuesday to do their research beforehand and especially pay attention to the fine print associated with the offers.
Lindsay Schwimmer, consumer expert at online travel site Hopper, recommends that people hoping to score last-minute deals for Christmas or New Year should double-check for blackout dates or other restrictions.
According to French, it’s also wise to keep an eye out for non-refundable fares, resort fees, double occupancy requirements or upgrade conditions that may be hidden within advertised discounts.
Buyers should be wary of travel packages with additional transportation options or add-on offers, French said. Instead of lowering rents or room rates, some companies use statement credits, extra points, included amenities and bundled extras as a way to entice potential customers, he said.
“Many travel brands want to keep sticker prices high to maintain an aura of luxury, but they still need to fill planes, ships and hotel rooms,” French said. “Add-on features are their solution.”
consumers Consumer experts stressed that those who are prepared, rather than impulsive, and looking for a quick sale are in a better position to identify the authentic deal. Knowing what a specific trip would typically cost and comparison shopping can help uncover offers based on increased underlying costs and whether the same itinerary might be cheaper at other times, he said.
“Compare prices, check your calendar and make sure the travel you’re booking is something you really want, not something you bought because the countdown timer pressured you into doing it,” French said. “What gets glossed over is that the best deal may be not to book anything at all if it doesn’t suit your plans.”
Travel Tuesday came based on current industry trends. In 2017, Hopper analyzed historical pricing data and found that in each of the past nine years, the biggest day for Thanksgiving travel discounts was the day after Cyber Monday.
The site named that day Travel Tuesday. The number of offers and the number of travelers looking for them have expanded within that time-target window.
“Nearly three times as many trips were planned on Travel Tuesday compared to Black Friday last year,” said Hopper’s Schwimmer. “We are seeing year-on-year growth as more travel brands and categories offer deals.”
The origin story of the event dates back to the National Retail Federation coining Cyber Monday in 2005 as a response to the emerging e-commerce era. American Express came up with Small Business Saturday in 2010 to direct shoppers and their dollars to smaller retailers, credit card fees and all.
A report last year from consulting firm McKinsey & Company said November and December are slow months for travel bookings, making Travel Tuesday a “marketing moment” that could help drive revenue.
Hotel, cruise and airline bookings by US travelers increased significantly on Travel Tuesday 2023 compared to the two weeks before and after the day, the report’s authors wrote, citing data provided by travel marketing platform Sojourn.
While travel Tuesday has so far been limited mostly to United States of America and Canada, “European travel companies may anticipate the possibility that Travel Tuesday will become a growing phenomenon in their region, given that other shopping days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have spread beyond North America,” the report said.
Vivek Pandya, principal insights analyst at Adobe Analytics, which tracks online spending, said consumers have more tools than ever this holiday season to help them determine whether deals are worth checking out.
“Social journeys, influencers providing promo codes and value, and generic AI platforms – prices, social interactions, reviews – and guiding the consumer, it’s a very different, dynamic type of journey that consumers are taking compared to last season,” Pandya said.
Both he and French emphasized that prices rise and fall depending on many factors, and that the winter holidays are not the only major promotional period of the year.
“We now have dozens of consumers spending ‘vacations,'” French said. “Amazon keeps adding new editions of Prime Day alone. So if you don’t shop on Travel Tuesday, you haven’t missed your moment.”
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