California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

The percentage of local residents who say they’ll possibly or definitely take a
vacation this summer has dropped by six percent from the Auto Club’s summer 2010
poll. This year, 81 percent say they are considering or will take a summer vacation,
compared to 87 percent last year. Of those who say they will not vacation this summer,
60 percent cited higher gas prices as the main reason.

For those who do plan summer travel, 37 percent say they’ll take one trip, 40 percent
will take two, 17 percent will take three and six percent will take four or more. Last
year, 31 percent took one trip, 34 percent took two, 22 percent took three and 13
percent took four or more.

Most polled summer vacationers (61 percent) plan to take at least one summer trip to
another state, while 54 percent will take at least one trip within California. The
most popular destination states are Nevada and Arizona, while the most popular
California destination cities are San Francisco and San Diego.

More travelers are also using their cell phones to search for discounts they can use
on their trip. Twenty-three percent said they now use smart phone discount apps for
their travel, compared to 10 percent last summer.

Other highlights from the poll:
•Top activities for this year’s summer vacations include visiting family (49
 percent), sightseeing (49 percent), visiting friends (37 percent), visiting
 attractions (32 percent), pursuing a hobby or sport (26 percent), going to a
 gambling destination (22 percent) and spa or relaxation (20 percent)
•52 percent of summer travelers plan to spend a total of $1,500 or less on all
 their summer trips
•For 50 percent of travelers, their longest summer trip will last from four to
 seven days, and for 25 percent, it will last eight to 14 days
•For their longest trip of the summer, 45 percent will drive to their destination
 while 39 percent will fly
•47 percent of travelers will stay in a hotel on their longest summer trip, and
 22 percent will stay with family

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.