The travel industry may be suffering, but nearly three quarters of the population have stayed in a hotel room over the past 12 months, according to a recent eBrain Market Research Online Poll. 

"The economy may be negatively affecting business travel, but a vast majority of Americans have stayed in a hotel in the past year, largely for personal reasons," says Tim Herbert, Director of Research for eBrain. "And people are definitely multitasking when it comes to travel, 26 percent of our respondents said they combined work and leisure during hotel stays in the past year." 

Poll highlights include:

Men were more likely than women to combine the two; and as the respondents' annual income rises, so does the likelihood of mixing business with pleasure. Only 8 percent of respondents said business or work was the primary reason for a hotel stay in the last 12 months.

People are also more likely than not to share a hotel room, as only 20 percent said they stayed solo on their last trip. Americans with an annual income of $75,000 or higher take more business trips, are more likely to pair personal and business stays and are most likely to stay in a large hotel chain. 

The eBrain Online Poll was fielded via a Web-based survey to a national sample of 1,000 U.S. households during the week of August 26, 2002. 

Source: www.eyefortravel.com

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