In my first couple of entries I talked about how much money travelers with disabilities spend in different areas of travel and how some of the necessary fixes to making sure these travelers are properly accommodated don’t cost much money at all. My last two posts (hopefully) dispelled some of the popular myths about people with disabilities. With all of this in mind, let’s talk about some of the success stories we are already seeing from the few major travel providers that are already taking advantage of this untapped market.
In 2003, Microtel Inns & Suites, a budget line of motels, decided to start marketing to travelers with disabilities. Their plan immediately paid off! In one year, here is what they reported:
o 275% increase in ADA Room Night Bookings
o 260% increase in revenue from ADA room bookings
o 400% increase in internet bookings
IF there are still any questions as to this market’s viability, I have more examples I will chare next week. IF you know of any successes within this market, please share your stories with me. Craig.kennedy@ckconsultingonline.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
People with Disabilities are NOT Poor!
Last week we dispelled a couple of popular myths about people with disabilities. Today I want to dispel another one and hopefully drive home the point that people with disabilities (PWD) are truly a viable market.
Myth #3: People with Disabilities Spend all of Their Money on Healthcare
Truth: Would You Believe (according to the Simmons Market Research Bureau) that of the millions of people limited in their everyday activities due to long-term disability
Ø 46% are married
Ø 48% are the principle shoppers
Ø 58% own their own homes
Ø 73% are head of their household
Ø 77% have no kids at home
This last percentage is perhaps the most important. Why? Because those that don’t have kids at home have even more disposable income, giving them more free time for travel and leisure.
Myth #3: People with Disabilities Spend all of Their Money on Healthcare
Truth: Would You Believe (according to the Simmons Market Research Bureau) that of the millions of people limited in their everyday activities due to long-term disability
Ø 46% are married
Ø 48% are the principle shoppers
Ø 58% own their own homes
Ø 73% are head of their household
Ø 77% have no kids at home
This last percentage is perhaps the most important. Why? Because those that don’t have kids at home have even more disposable income, giving them more free time for travel and leisure.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
People with Disabilities are NOT poor
This week I want to dispel a couple of the popular myths about people with disabilities so we can start to understand the true spending power of this market.
Myth #1: People with Disabilities Can’t Get Jobs.
Truth: People with Disabilities (PWD) represent 1/5 of our population. That’s one in every five people in America that have some sort of Disability. The truth is that PWD are Doctors, Scientists, Lawyers, CEO’s, Office Managers, and Parents just like the rest of the population. That fact that our unemployment rate is a little higher is only due to the fact that some PWD are so severely disabled that they cannot work.
Myth #2: People with Disabilities are Poor.
Truth: According to several sources, including the Open Doors Organization, PWD have a combined discretionary income of more than $220 billion. And discretionary income is the money we have left over to spend after we have paid our mortgages, car payments, utility bills, etc.. So after we have paid our monthly dues we still have $220 billion left over to spend on travel and leisure.
Keep this in mind the next time you are wondering if PWD are a viable market with money to spend. And please feel free to email me your comments (craigkennedy@ckconsultingonline.com). We will discuss a couple more popular myths next week.
Myth #1: People with Disabilities Can’t Get Jobs.
Truth: People with Disabilities (PWD) represent 1/5 of our population. That’s one in every five people in America that have some sort of Disability. The truth is that PWD are Doctors, Scientists, Lawyers, CEO’s, Office Managers, and Parents just like the rest of the population. That fact that our unemployment rate is a little higher is only due to the fact that some PWD are so severely disabled that they cannot work.
Myth #2: People with Disabilities are Poor.
Truth: According to several sources, including the Open Doors Organization, PWD have a combined discretionary income of more than $220 billion. And discretionary income is the money we have left over to spend after we have paid our mortgages, car payments, utility bills, etc.. So after we have paid our monthly dues we still have $220 billion left over to spend on travel and leisure.
Keep this in mind the next time you are wondering if PWD are a viable market with money to spend. And please feel free to email me your comments (craigkennedy@ckconsultingonline.com). We will discuss a couple more popular myths next week.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
People With Didabilites are Spending Money
10.9.2008
So I realize that my stats from last week’s Blog were pretty general so let me break it down a little further to give you an idea what people with disabilities (PWD) are spending their money on. The $13.6 billion can be separated out into 4 main categories. These travelers spent $4.2 billion on hotels, $3.3 billion on airfare, $2.7 billion on food and beverage, and $3.4 billion on retail, transportation, and other activities. This a pretty typical split for mainstream travelers as well and as you can see includes all areas of travel and tourism. What sets this group apart from mainstream travelers however is the fact that the people surveyed also suggested that they would double their spending if some minor amenities were made available. That’s right, double their spending, which puts another $13.6 billion into play.
Meet and greet programs at airports, preferred seating on airplanes, hotel rooms closer to amenities, and employees who go out of their way to accommodate guests with disabilities topped the list. Please notice that spending thousands of dollars on remodeling and accessibility improvements is NOT on this list. By making sure that PWD feel confident that their needs will be met and going out of your way to make them feel welcome you can start to tap into the unspent billions in this market.
So I realize that my stats from last week’s Blog were pretty general so let me break it down a little further to give you an idea what people with disabilities (PWD) are spending their money on. The $13.6 billion can be separated out into 4 main categories. These travelers spent $4.2 billion on hotels, $3.3 billion on airfare, $2.7 billion on food and beverage, and $3.4 billion on retail, transportation, and other activities. This a pretty typical split for mainstream travelers as well and as you can see includes all areas of travel and tourism. What sets this group apart from mainstream travelers however is the fact that the people surveyed also suggested that they would double their spending if some minor amenities were made available. That’s right, double their spending, which puts another $13.6 billion into play.
Meet and greet programs at airports, preferred seating on airplanes, hotel rooms closer to amenities, and employees who go out of their way to accommodate guests with disabilities topped the list. Please notice that spending thousands of dollars on remodeling and accessibility improvements is NOT on this list. By making sure that PWD feel confident that their needs will be met and going out of your way to make them feel welcome you can start to tap into the unspent billions in this market.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
People with Disabilities: The Untapped market
If People with Disabilities, numbering around 55 million in the United States alone and more than 840 million world wide, take 32 million trips per year and spend $13.6 billion per year on travel, then why are they still the most overlooked group of consumers when it comes to marketing? The answer is simple; until now there have never been any reliable statistics and demographics available. Well now thanks to the Open Doors Organization there are reliable demographics. It seems simple to me that here are 55 million consumers that are not being targeted in marketing strategies. What are you waiting for?
When I do talks for public relations firms and tourism groups I am always amazed at the number of jaws on the ground and the number of people that just don’t realize the spending potential of this niche of consumer.
I would love to hear your comments on this topic and would love to share some of what I know. Please email me at craigkennedy@ckconsultingonline.com with comments and questions.
When I do talks for public relations firms and tourism groups I am always amazed at the number of jaws on the ground and the number of people that just don’t realize the spending potential of this niche of consumer.
I would love to hear your comments on this topic and would love to share some of what I know. Please email me at craigkennedy@ckconsultingonline.com with comments and questions.
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