Holiday Inn

Findings from the inaugural Asia Pacific Family Travel 2012 survey indicate that families on vacation are prepared to spend even more than they already do. According to the survey conducted across key cities in seven Asia Pacific markets, an estimated 44 million people travel on family holidays every year – chalking up an annual spend of US$29 billion.

Respondents in the survey also indicate that they are prepared to spend even more per trip, auguring well for the huge opportunities for the travel and hospitality industry in this region.

The survey was independently undertaken by Turner Media Solutions, in association with Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, with the aim of understanding more about the growth and opportunities in this travel segment.

This travel segment has particular resonance with the Holiday Inn brand, whose founder Kemmons Wilson saw the need for a consistent and family friendly hotel product in an era of poor quality roadside hotels. These tenets still govern the Holiday Inn brand 60 years after the first property opened in Memphis in 1952 – and family travel continues to grow, as this recent survey highlights.

Turner Media Solutions, Turner's full-service in-house agency responsible for customised marketing solutions for clients across its leading entertainment channels including Cartoon Network, garnered independent opinion from 10,000 individuals in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Australia. Estimated statistics and projections were formulated based on their feedback and pertain to the markets surveyed.

Turner's Research Director, Betty Wu, said: "This unique survey shows the importance of family holidaymakers to the industry and reveals the opportunities out there for travel brands. More and more families in Asia Pacific have considerable disposable income and the study shows they intend to spend."

As many as 74 per cent of respondents in the survey said they travel with family members aged 19 and below, and two-thirds of respondents travel with children aged 14 and below.

Other key findings highlighted in the survey include:

  • 51 million trips are made each year on family vacations
  • 44m people spend US$29bn (Domestic: US$11.75bn; International: US$17.13bn)
  • International travel is expected to see considerable increases in 2012: Indonesia (20 per cent); Malaysia (38 per cent); Philippines (81 per cent)
  • Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and India will remain popular destinations for family travellers, with growth expected from North Asia and regions outside Asia
  • Typically, the length of stay for domestic family travel is 4 days, whilst the length of stay for international family travel is 8 days

Jennifer Yuen, Brand Director for the Holiday Inn Brand Family, said the survey reaffirms the brand's focus on family vacations, and that it will continue to assess and enhance its family-friendly facilities at all Holiday Inn properties around the world.

"Holiday Inn has championed family travel for the last six decades so we are proud to be the clear choice when families are thinking about where to stay," said Yuen, who represents the brand for IHG Asia, Middle East and Africa.

"According to this survey, 60% of respondents look to relax when they travel with family and this is where we do particularly well. At Holiday Inn Resorts, parents can find that balance between spending quality family time with their kids, whilst also having that adult break to recharge their batteries."

Offering programmes that can keep children entertained and occupied takes the stress out of parents travelling with young children, and is a mainstay of Holiday Inn hotels.

The brand, in its early days, first pioneered its Kids Stay & Eat Free programme, where guests under 18 stay for free when they share their parents' room and children under 12 eat free with accompanying adult guests. Innovative hotel facilities, such as specially-themed Family suites and KidSuites®, Kids Clubs and Teen Zones, are available at resort locations and are all specifically designed with the young guest in mind.

The iconic brand celebrates its 60th anniversary in August this year.

Holiday Inn has won the Best Mid Market Hotel Brand in the World and Asia Pacific by readers of Business Traveller for 11 consecutive years up till 2011. It has also won the Highest in Guest Satisfaction among Midscale Full Service Hotel Chains by J.D. Power and Associates in 2011.

There are currently 1,234 Holiday Inn hotels globally, including 108 in Asia Pacific. 71 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts are in the pipeline for the Asia Pacific region, with India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines being among the list for growth.

About IHG®

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Meet IHG at