This article is continued from the January 2010 CarolinaLiving.com eBrief.
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Most recent US Travel Outlook as Reported by ULI:

The current state of the travel industry is mixed, although travel demand is increasing and employment is showing modest gains. The US Travel Association projects an additional 90,000 travel industry jobs in 2010, the result of slight gains in travel and tourism.

However, the US and Carolina hotel industry continued to post declines in all three performance metrics during 2009, according to Smith Travel Research (STR). 2009 US occupancy fell 9.5 percent, room rates have dropped 9 percent, and RevPAR has decreased 17.7 percent. This lack of improvement in the lodging industry has prompted STR now predict that hotel industry recovery will not begin until 2011.

A new survey from Deloitte reveals that many would-be travelers still have concerns about economic conditions, with 64 percent of respondents saying they are more cost-conscious when traveling. Demand for leisure travel services will continue to fill the majority of occupied seats and rooms. In the Carolinas, we call many of these leisure travelers “Turbo-Tourists.” About 6 million of the 80 million total visitors, all seeking relocation, jobs and new business opportunities.

Below: A key question on the Carolina Lifestyle Survey™ completed by about 4,000 families a year, asks about visit history to the Carolinas. Beyond the economic impact, fresh Clemson research by Dr. Jason Draper confirms pre-move visitation as the predominant influence on willingness to invest and or relocate. This “Turbo-Tourist” segment, of the Carolinas annual total of 80 million, is estimated at nearly 5 million visitors, all here to explore and tour as part of a relocation or second home decision ... staying longer, spending more and returning more frequently. Then, when they make the decision, we realize an economic jackpot, estimated to be $30 billion annually in fresh cash and jobs to the Carolinas. These in-migration trends continue for 25 years.