Sociology of Tourism - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 245

income in the United States fell between the 2008 and 2009 American Community Survey, decreasing
by 2.9 percent from $51,726 to $50,221. An exceedingly important factor in household income is
dual wage earners. The increase in the number of women who work outside the home has been
dramatic and has boosted household income. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 59.2
percent of wives worked in 2009, compared with less than 45 percent in 1975. Married-couple families
with both parents employed were just over 51 percent in 2008. As incomes increase, it bodes well for
travel, but with husbands and wives both working, it may be more dif cult to find time for travel and
vacation. It is believed that this is one of the reasons for the trend toward shorter and more frequent
vacations. 4
Travel expenditures historically have been income elastic; consequently, as per capita real incomes
continue to rise, consumers should spend an increasing proportion of their incomes on travel. Besides
making more trips in the future, increasing numbers of consumers can be expected to choose air travel
over other modes of travel. Income and education are closely correlated.

Education

Another factor deserving attention from tourism managers is education, because it tends to
broaden people s interests and, thus, stimulate travel. People with college educations take more

pleasure trips than do those with high school educations, and those with high school educations
take more trips than do those with grade school educations. Educators are forecasting continued
increases in the average educational level, which would result in a continued positive impact on
pleasure travel.
Studies uniformly show that well-educated individuals account for the most travel and the
most dollars spent for vacation and pleasure trips. Only about 50 percent of the homes where the
household head did not earn a high school diploma report an expenditure for vacation trips.
Where the head holds a high school diploma, about 65 percent report vacation expenditures;
where the head has some college, 75 percent spend on vacations; and where the head has a
degree, 85 percent report vacation expenditures. Income accompanies education as an important
factor. In the approximately 35 percent of the homes where the head of the household has had
some college, approximately 55 percent of the expenditures for vacation travel are made. Where
the head has more than four years of college, vacation expenditures run two to three times
the U.S. average. There appears to be no question that increased education levels heighten the
propensity to travel, and with expanding higher education levels within the population, air travel
should also expand.
The nation

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s educational level continues to rise. Fifty years ago, a high school diploma was nearly as
rare a credential as a four-year college degree is today. In 2005, the proportion of the U.S. population
having finished high school and the percentage of those receiving bachelor

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s degrees remained at an
all-time high. A large majority of the population, 85.2 percent, graduated from high school and
27.2 percent earned a bachelor

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s degree. In 1960, only 9.7 percent of men and 5.8 percent of women
had completed college. Today, the majority of college students (56.6 percent) are women. 5 Education
is closely correlated with income and occupation, so the rising level of education should help to
increase the demand for travel.

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Gay and Lesbian Tourism

A growing market that is getting a lot of attention is the gay and lesbian market. Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) tourism is a highly pro table segment. It is also referred to as

pink

tourism . Gay tourism has moved from being almost invisible to something that is studied by

academics for its social impact and counted by tourism suppliers for its considerable dollar impact. In
2010, ITB Berlin, the world ' s largest trade fair, introduced Gay and Lesbian Travel in its own hall as a