In a study released by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) in 2002 titled The Minority Traveler, research showed minority travelers generated 18% of all person-trips taken in the United States, and they generated 19% of domestic travel expenditures. Domestic expenditures by minority travelers amounted to $90 billion in 2002. Hispanics generated the highest travel volume among the minority groups followed closely by African Americans. The ethnic and racial make up of the North American population will continue to change as a result of a declining birth rate and immigration.
In the U.S., most of the population growth will occur in the south and the west, and a significant portion of it will be in non-Caucasian segments, such as Hispanics. This demographic trend is increasingly becoming a key factor for venues that want to service Spanish speaking visitors.
While there hasn’t been recent studies on this growing market trend, in the The Minority Traveler, 2003 Edition research found that Hispanic travel ”volume is up 20 percent from 2000 to 2002 (increasing from 64.1 million to 77.1 million person-trips), much higher than the two percent growth of travelers overall,” while “Asian-American travel volume has grown 10 percent from 2000 to 2002, increasing from 30.0 million to 33.1 million person-trips.”
In 2004, Lodging Hospitality wrote an article called Minority Muscle, stating “The minority travel market is booming. Over the past few years, as diverse populations in the U.S. have swelled or simply become more visible due to mainstream acceptance, the travel industry has seen a corresponding increase in bookings from minority markets.”
We’re hoping TIA continues this important work as domestic minority markets continue to grow in America. From a marketing perspective, consider how you might tap into foreign language domestic markets in more meaningful ways? How do you address the needs of the fastest growing demographic segment in the United States - the Hispanic market?
Individuals like Juan Tornoe are dedicated to this cause, helping the “business community or the Hispanic marketing, advertising, PR, and market research industries to better understand Latinos and their diversity.” To learn more about Juan Tornoe’s work and his passion for marketing visit his blog - hispanic trending - A Latino Marketing & Advertising Blog.
