The top reason for travelling or Why do people travel?

People travel for a variety of reasons, ranging from leisure and adventure to work and education. For many, travel provides an opportunity to explore new cultures and customs, sample delicious cuisine, and take in breathtaking natural landscapes. Others travel in search of adventure and excitement, seeking out activities like hiking, skiing, or surfing.

Travel can also be a means of personal growth and transformation, as individuals challenge themselves by stepping outside of their comfort zones and experiencing new things. For some, travel is a way to escape the stresses of daily life, providing a chance to unwind and recharge.

In addition to these personal reasons, travel can also have broader societal benefits. It can promote cultural exchange and understanding, as people from different backgrounds come together and learn from one another. It can also boost local economies and create jobs, as tourists spend money on food, lodging, and activities.

Same as we have categories for hotels we can also place guests or travellers into categories. Categorizing the guest by the reason for travelling is the best and proven way of doing so. Below are a few such categories :

1. Travelling for business.
2. Travelling to attend a conference or company group meeting.
3. Traveling for vacation with family
4. Other reasons (personal, marriage, health, shopping, birdwatching, skiing, motor racing, music band, etc.)

Even though the market for the hotel industry has different categories, there are three major categories based on the reason for travel: business, pleasure, group, and other special interest travellers.

1. Travelling for business: 

If we take the history of the hotel industry business travellers were the first and primary targets. Business travellers average more than five trips a year and they are less likely to share a room with friends or relatives, they account for a significant portion of the hotel industry. Regular business travels are an important source of business for many lodging properties.

Frequent travellers provide their travel agents with board parameters outlining the type of hotel they would like to stay. Increased attention has also been given to travelling businesswomen.

Business hotels have special amenities and facilities specifically directed at business travellers. Eg:- meeting spaces, offices in the building that can be rented by travellers, secretarial, business centre, in-room safes, Wi-Fi, etc.

2. Pleasure Travel: 

The pleasure travel market often depends on the attractions, products, and services offered by the destination are lodging property. Typical market segments include resorts, treatments, pilgrimage, medical / health care, golf, rafting, etc. Pleasure travelers are generally price sensitive they always look for affordable prices with good recreational facilities.

3. Group Travel: 

Group travel is different from business travel because some groups travel for pleasure. Groups can be divided into two sections on

1. Groups travelling for pleasure/pilgrimage etc. are often classified as TourAny pre-arranged (but not necessarily prepaid) journey to one or more places and back to the point o... groups.
2. Business-related group travel or gatherings held by corporations are classified as Conferences. Examples are management meetings, product launches, staff training seminars, stockholders meetings, etc.

4. Other Special Interest Holidays or Travelers:

• Antiques A fascinating hobby, delving back into our past, actually touching elegant pieces of history.
• Archaeology ‘Dig’ further back into our past, in fascinating surroundings in countries such as Greece, France, Germany, and Peru.
• Athletics World Wide Marathon on Barbados, and in London. Train for the event at La Santa on Lanzarote, the Canary Islands, which has Olympic training facilities.
• Bird watching Virtually all countries offer this peaceful and fascinating hobby but imagine bird watching in Kenya, Ecuador, the Scottish
• The Hebrides or the SeychellesBird Island. What beautiful birds there are to be seen.
• Botany/flowers Most countries offer the beauty of flowers but perhaps Holland with the spring bulbs or the Jersey Flower Festival also come to mind.
• Castles Have you clients who are interested in castles? They can be found in most countries, especially in Europe, but perhaps we think of Germany and Austria for this type of special interest holiday.
• City breaks are of great interest and are the biggest in terms of sales.
• Cookery/food Something we do every day, but perhaps we have clients who would like to learn how to make entertaining easy or gain more knowledge of vegetarian cooking. Or perhaps explore something completely different for them.
• Italian, Chinese, or Indian cooking. Perhaps they would enjoy a ‘GourmetA person who is very knowledgeable about wine and food and who enjoys savouring it. Delights’ holiday where guests do not do the cooking but just enjoy eating! Perhaps a visit to a food festival in Hong Kong would appeal, combining discovering a new destination with a hobby.
• Cycling Cycling is very popular at home and abroad, and not only for the very young. Many cyclists who began this hobby at 16 are still cycling strong at 60 years!
• Dinghy sailing Learn to sail a small boat or improve on this skill. Where better than around the islands of Greece and Turkey?
• Fishing Many countries offer fishing holidays whether in the sea or lakes and rivers, where peace, excitement, solitude, or companionship can be found.
• Gambling Las Vegas! Monte Carlo?
• Golf So many countries offer golf holidays either to learn or improve or just to enjoy beautiful courses or follow ‘the stars’. We think of countries like the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and many more.
• Health/keep fit/beauty Most of us probably fit in there somewhere in terms of our need for this type of holiday! Many countries offer health farms or spas with healing waters. Many clients like just to set aside a week or even a few days to concentrate on trying to get fit or improve their fitness condition. Lovely for the ladies to spend a few days feeling ‘treasured’ at a healthy and beautiful farm. Many of them are converted stately homes and stand on magnificent grounds offering peace, luxury, and an opportunity for self-improvement that time does not permit in our everyday routine.
• Horse riding/pony trekking Again, offered by most countries, perhaps to learn or improve or just to enjoy being close to these sensitive animals. For clients not want to ride, they are horse-drawn.
• Caravan holidays – travel at a slow pace enjoying the countryside.
• Motor racing Holidays to the worldwide Grand Prix circuits. This special interest has a great following.
• Age: for example, there are many holidays available for the over-55s, 18–30s, and adventure holidays for children.
• Destination interests: for example, Iceland may appeal to some people as a very special interest destination because it offers something quite different from the usual type of holiday choice.
• Venue: for example, many universities are available to holidaymakers during the summer months when not being used by students, and hotel groups offer weekend or midweek special interest breaks.
• Music What a tremendous range worldwide! The type of music can determine the venue jazz, classical, country and western, the 1950s and 1960s music, the Glenn Miller sound, opera, ballet – the variety is endless. There are many festivals throughout the year, and we think of Vienna and Milan in particular.
• Painting On canvas, paper, china, cloth, indoors, outdoors – in every country the choice is endless. Whether to study by attending lectures, to try a new experience where beginners are welcome, or to improve or perfect a recognized gift.
• Parachuting/jumping Do you have a client with the courage and adventurous spirit looking for this special interest holiday? Be sure to collect full payment before they go! Also, make sure they have adequate travel insurance.
• Skiing An exhilarating holiday for active holidaymakers. We think of the ski resorts in Europe, but of course, many countries with mountains offer this special type of holiday. A few lessons on dry ski slopes at home can speed up learning to ski during the holiday. We will discuss skiing holidays in more detail in the next few pages.
• Survival Adventure holidays for children and adults. ‘Robinson Crusoe’ holiday on an uninhabited Greek island, and survival training on an uninhabited Scottish island – something different.
• WalkingTurning away a guest who has a reservation because of a lack of room availability. – A great favourite for all ages and can be organized by walking clubs and tour operators or just an informal gathering of family and friends. There are a wealth of destinations with beautiful scenery and easy footpaths to follow.

Overall, there are countless reasons why people travel, each one unique to the individual. Whether it's to explore new places, gain new experiences, or simply relax and unwind, travel has the power to enrich our lives in countless ways.