The Influence of Environmental Determinants on Single American Women When Purchasing Leisure Travel Services

By definition the term “single” is an adjective used to describe an unmarried person. It refers to someone who is “not accompanied by another or others; who is solitary”; someone that is “lacking a partner and alone” (FreeDictionary.com 2008).

Years ago this term could be perceived as negative, as American society in the past has viewed (with the help of the media) single people to be lonely. However, with the number of single households in the United Stated rising within the past few years (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006) “single hood” is starting to become a norm in American lifestyles.

There are more than 100 million American adults who are separated, divorced/widowed, or single (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Women make up more than 50% of this demographic (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006, Table A2). There are 28 million single women in the United States aged 35 and older (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006, Table A2).

Single or married women make 80% of all leisure travel decisions within the household (Bond, 2007, para.6). Last year alone, single women took 32 million trips (Gerencher, 2002, para.21) and spent $125 billion in travel expenses (Bond, 2007, para.6). Single women have become a significant target market within the leisure travel industry. This driving force has resulted in a 230% increase in women-only travel services and companies (Bond, 2007, para.6).

Women today have more financial and social freedom (Exhibit 1), along with more travel options than their mothers or grandmothers did (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Today, younger women are choosing to remain single for many reasons (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Women no longer need to be dependent on a husband or family for income as they were generations ago (Finn, 2007). Education and income levels are higher for American women today than they were in the past (Finn, 2007).

According to unmarriedamerica.org unmarried households in the United States became a new majority in the new millennium. Women today are no longer constrained by social norms.
According to the 2007 SRDS, a single-woman-headed household made up 20% of the 39,405,833 American households in 2007. Sixteen percent of those single-woman-headed households were headed by women aged 35-64 (more notable referred to as “Baby Boomers”) (Exhibit 2).

America is seeing an increase in single female baby boomers due to the rise in divorce rates, as well as, the loss of a spouse (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). Many of these single female baby boomers are purchasing leisure travel services due to the new financial independence and ability to do so (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

Along with the single baby boomers (many with grown children) it is also the single mothers with children at home that are leading this new demographic movement with leisure travel (Finn, 2007). Within this segment of leisure travelers 75% prefer cultural or adventurous trip; and 87% say they would go to a place only for the beautiful scenery (Bond, 2007, para.6). Women looking for travel companions often find that taking a trip with a group of women with similar interests is more fun and less stressful (Griffith, 2001, para.1). These “group tours” of women can connect easily when traveling and often rely on each other for advice as well as companionship (Griffith, 2001, para.1). These group excursions range from relaxing spa weekends, to visiting an ancient ruin city on a remote continent (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Today, women are going everywhere; “women consider setting out on their own part of their education, part of becoming an adult” (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

The Internet has been a resource tool not only for the consumers but also for the developing of the single women minded travel industry (Higgins, 2007, para.16). Over 80% of single women who purchased travel products or services offline researched their purchases online beforehand (Bond, 2007, para.6). Studies have shown that an effective way to reach the female audience is through online community sites (Bond, 2007, para.6). Women's community sites have grown 35 percent (Bond, 2007, para.6). These new website options can help solo travelers assert their independence while feeling less like loners (Gerencher, 2002, para. 21). Tour sites such as Intrepid Travel and Adventure Women, just introduced four singles-only trips to places like Peru and Nepal (Higgins, 2007, para.16). Here single travelers have special rates and fees that help them to make up for the difference in price charged to two travelers sharing a room and other facilities (Higgins, 2007, para.16).

Although traveling alone seems a great option for many women, several others think twice before doing so. Many women start their “traveling lives” in their home countries, "a lot of women are a little afraid to go to Europe and the Middle East for obvious reasons, they tend to stick around the U.S. because there's so much to see around here" (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). Many single women prefer to meet up with other travelers to enhance their personal safety and share their new experiences (Gerencher, 2002, para.21). By pairing up with other travelers women can learn helpful tips and must-haves like: buy a guidebook geared toward the single traveler; check out the independent travelers meeting places; avoid power plays and unwanted attention; and do talk to the natives (Bond, 2006, para.9). Despite the great range of choices, many hotels and tours do not yet have single accommodations forcing solo travelers to accommodate themselves in groups and by this not allowing them to have the privacy they want in their journey (Gerencher, 2002, para.21).

It is estimated that by 2010 the number of women travelers will exceed the 67 million mark and the travel industry will increase their revenues by $19 trillion annually (Bond, 2007, para.6). With this promising future on the horizon many marketers are having trouble targeting and approaching this growing market segment (Finn, 2007).

Current advertising and media often stereotype singles in two different ways: as either the sad and lonely Bridget Jones or the chic urban “Sex and the City” or “Friends” with perfect lives (Finn, 2007). What they do not get is that singles today are more likely to view their lives a positive choice, not a failure. We can see in the Packaged Fact analysis from 2007 that, of the primetime ads, 44% showed single characters, 38% showed married characters, and 18% showed both single and married characters (Exhibit 3).

On the other hand, advertisements are primarily showing young singles under 30 not taking into consideration that single adults, aged 35 and older, are not only the majority but also have higher incomes and more purchase power (Finn, 2007). Most of the marketing for this group focuses on couples and a marriage lifestyle with and without kids (Finn, 2007).

The most important things marketers should take into consideration are the way things have changed. The mentality of unmarried adults about being single is totally different from years ago (Finn, 2007). Stigmas and stereotypes are being dismissed and replaced by new ways of seeing and enjoying single life (Finn, 2007).

Suggestions
Our first suggestion would be for marketers to develop an effective approach when targeting the young single women and a separate approach when targeting the singe baby boomer females. Marketers need to deliver the right message in the right format at the right time.
For the single women, these messages should be adapted to match their lifestyles and preferences (single women should be targeted by age or generation). With this approach there would be better results. Also the paradigms of being single should disappear and allow single women to have access to the same advantages and benefits as married couples.

Leisure travel services marketing campaigns should aim at portraying women having fun with their friends. As stated previously in the paper, women prefer to travel in groups or women that share the same interests. This advertising strategy would be well received by all single women (women of any age, with or without kids).

For the Baby Boomers generation, single women should be targeted with advertisements appealing to the nostalgia of the popular culture from their teen years and young adulthood. This subgroup expects exceptional customer service (Finn, 2007) therefore business and products should focus on special programs and more effective ways to customize their services.
Single women with children are more receptive to marketing and advertising. Using direct product information, positive images of single parents and interactive elements are effective ways to approach them. On the other hand, younger childless single women are best reached by experimental methods like sampling, street marketing and events where they can interact and educate themselves about the service or product for themselves (Finn, 2007).