1. Penny Swanson
TUTH 9:05-10:30
Vacations in the Mind of Women
Vacations are a large portion of the hospitality and tourism industry. If people did not go
on vacations it would take away a large section of our market. As time goes on and technology
advances and lifestyles change so do vacations. I interviewed 25 women between the ages of
20-45. Everyone who talks about vacations sees them in a different way. Depending on the
person and their lifestyle vacation means one thing to them and something totally different to
another. When talking with a number of women about vacations most thought of fun, relaxing,
friends, getting away. They also thought of them as break from life and work, warmth, exotic
places, stress free, and new experiences. All of these thoughts on vacations go together with
the basic break from the ordinary. A great thing about vacations is that no matter how people
see them they can be tailored to fit their description and needs .
When I asked what was their favorite vacation and what made it their vacation I had a
number of answers that matched each other in a few different ways. A number of girls said that
their favorite vacation was to somewhere in Florida and New York. These two states came up
the most and I believe that is for a few different reasons. Florida and New York both are known
as tourist destinations. They offer great sightseeing and attractions that reach out to a variety
of people. There were also tropical places such as the Bahamas and Mexico that were stated
more than once. I believe that people are drawn to these locations for the warm climate and

2. different atmosphere. The Midwest is nothing like those areas so people are more likely to seek
them on vacation. European countries were also popular. Some of the girls had family over
there and others went with family. Europe is a top destination that is on many peoples bucket
list. As for why the ladies remembered the vacation and thought of them as their favorite, the
top two main reasons where family and friends. Family was number one. Being able to bond
with family members over seeing new locations, making memoires, seeing family that they
haven’t seen for ages, and experiencing new cultures with them were some of the reasons the
different girls enjoyed their family vacations the most. Friends made girls vacation because they
were able to experience the new elements with their best friends. Traveling with family and
friends makes vacations better because you are able to enjoy the experience with other that
you enjoy and you get to see them enjoy it as well. One answer that really stood out to me was
one of the girls her favorite vacation was a house boat trip they take every year not only
because of family but because it’s the one vacation that she is actually able to escape society by
having no cell phones or computers. Not many people these days have vacations where they
don’t use technology.
I asked the ladies if they could go anywhere on earth for vacation where would they go
and why. A large portion of the response included Ireland, Europe, and a couple of tropical
locations.Ireland was a top destination for the following reasons; a few of the girls wanted to
travel there because of family ancestors. A number of their families are from Ireland and they
would like to see the area their family came from. Others wanted to travel there because of the

3. scenery and land. Many people list Ireland as a top destination and I believe it is among the top
destinations. Europe was also very popular among the group I surveyed. Europe was popular
for reasons such as the tourist attractions, and culture. Other locations that were brought up
people were interested because of the pictures and experiences that their friends had when
they traveled there, the warm climate, animals, people, food, and celebrations. I believe that
people pick locations and dream of traveling to areas because of things they enjoy that the area
offers.
Childhood memories that stick with you are the ones you will remember for a life time.
Children do not remember everything but everyone has moments from growing up . I asked the
women what were some childhood memories that related to vacations and what made them
remember them. A lot of them remember silly things they and their family did while on
vacations or during the travels to vacation. Some remembered the trips they took to outdoor
locations and the adventures they would go on such as hiking and seeing the wildlife . One
remembered camping and the activities they did such as fires, and telling stories around the
campfire. A majority of the girls remember their families’ first trip to Disney World because it is
simply magical. As discussed in class children are the ones who help determine where the
parents will be going to vacation. Children are influential and marketers know that. Disney does
a wonderful job at drawing in children which helps to draw in the parents. A lot of the girls had
vacations that were car trips verse planes. From the technology developments I believe that as

4. time goes on less and less people will drive for vacations and instead fly, not only because of
technology but also from the fact that more and more people are going on vacation for shorter
time periods.
A large majority of the women I interviewed were in the younger part of the age range
that I interviewed which explains why the most common next vacation for them was spring
break. When asked what is the next vacation they had planned 90% of the women all had
vacations planned within the next 6 months. When looking at the women interviewed I believe
this is true because a large amount of them are in college and are looking to experience spring
break. Many of them will be going to Florida or Mexico over spring break. They picked these
areas because of friends, family, and prime college spring break locations. Others planned to go
to California and Disney. California was both for the Disney Park, and family. Whereas Florida
was family, Disney, and spring break. The few others were different areas where family is
located. A trend that is appearing among the different questions is that people travel largely
based on family.
I asked the ladies what influences their vacations and why. The top influences were
cost, people, and sites to see. The girls think about who they would be traveling with. They
consider if it will be with family or friends and how many of them. Many take into consideration
the cost. Depending on the budget that they have for the vacation is a major factor on where
they can travel. People who are on a $800 budget are most likely going to be staying in the
states, whereas a $1700 budget is likely to travel further or longer. Also the sites that are

5. available to see are a major impact. Girls want to experience different cultures and meet a
variety of people. They want to see places that are different and they haven’t seen before .
People want to know that where they are going is going to be fun and full of enjoyable
memories.
When looking at women between the ages of 20-43 and comparing what they think of
vacations and past experiences a large amount of the data related to each other . Top
destinations that the ladies wanted to travel to be the same for the most part . They reasons the
girls remembered certain factors was because the way they judge things. I believe another
reason that the answers tended to relate was because of advertising and the media and their
influences.

6. Works Cited
(2012, November 10). Vacations. (P. Swanson, Interviewer)
Mill, R. C., & Morrison, A. M. (2009). The Toursim System. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt.