A customer survey conducted by B2B deal provider RapidBuyr has found that travel services and mobile technology top the list of purchases small business owners plan to make in 2012.

Sixty-two percent of respondents plan to purchase airline tickets, while 55 percent will need hotel rooms. Restaurants and rental car demand came in at 38 and 34 percent, respectively. Following close behind travel is a desire for electronic devices on which travel purchases increasingly can be made. A full 49 percent of respondents plan to purchase a tablet computer, such as the iPad, within the next 12 months, while 44 percent plan to buy a new mobile phone.

The survey results indicate that travel-service providers would do well to consider outlets such as RapidBuyr to better target deals to the small-business market (SBM).

“The small-business market is often overlooked by major vendors because it is highly fragmented with little potential for the bulk buying power that makes big businesses so attractive to vendors, says Pete Angus, director of marketing for RapidBuyr.

RapidBuyr offers local and nationwide daily deals to nearly 40 million U.S. SMBs, with discounts of up to 80 percent on products and services including electronics, general merchandise, local services, travel and sporting events.

More than 2,000 customers responded to the survey, which was conducted in November and December 2011. RapidBuyr plans to repeat the survey every few months.

Photo: MarkHillary (via Flickr CC2.0)

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Who cares about turndown service? I just want free Wi-Fi.

Those were two unsurprising findings of a recent TripAdvisor survey that asked 1,200 travelers and 600 hotel owners and managers what they considered the most and least important amenities.

After Wi-Fi, the top-rated perks were free breakfast, loyalty points, a hotel restaurant, and a complimentary shuttle to area attractions and the airport. After turndown service, the amenities getting the lowest marks were pet-friendly policies, spa, organized excursions and room service.

Perhaps as important as knowing what guests want is knowing what they will do in order to get it. Just over half of travelers surveyed said they have canceled a reservation to take advantage of better amenities at a different property. And 65 percent percent say they have gone to the lobby or other common areas to avoid paying for wireless Internet, while 41 percent have never paid for Wi-Fi access.

TripAdvisor is calling the study a 360-degree survey because it polled both travelers and hoteliers. And the results show that hotels understand some of the things that their guests want, but are missing the mark on others. Hoteliers underestimated the importance of guest loyalty points and shuttle service, while overestimating the importance of pet policies and room service.

Following are the lists of most and least desired amenities.

Photos: TripAdvisor

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Travel Industry Lobbying Efforts: Following up President Barack Obama’s Jan. 19 announcement to boost U.S. tourism and recognition of the travel industry’s contribution to the economy, the U.S. Travel Association last week unveiled “Vote Travel,” a new yearlong campaign to raise its profile with travelers and among policymakers in Washington, D.C.

“The world is experiencing a travel boom and the United States needs to be part of it,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “The impact of the $1.8 trillion U.S. travel industry is significant and growing, which is why we are galvanizing support and asking all Americans to ‘Vote Travel’ this election season.”

The Vote Travel campaign intentionally coincides with 2012 being an election year and provides an added opportunity for the organization to garner support for travel policy initiatives. Campaign goals include:

• Building support for travel industry policy and advocacy priorities among policymakers and the general electorate;
• Generating media attention surrounding the travel industry’s impact on the U.S. economy, as well as state and local economies, including specific congressional districts;
• Strengthening the travel industry’s visibility and relevance in Washington;
• Showcasing the critical importance of meetings and conventions with events during the Democratic and Republican conventions to target both convention attendees, as well as media;
• Deepening relationships with travel industry partners by helping them tell the story of the travel industry’s importance to the U.S. economy; and
• Building additional grassroots support for U.S. Travel and the Power of Travel Coalition through social media platforms.

“Travel supports more than 14 million jobs in local communities and states across the nation,” said Dow. “By casting a vote for travel, our industry can increase jobs, help our economy recover and get America moving.”

Hotel Room Discounts: Room 77 has kicked off 2012 by offering travelers 10 percent off any hotel booking, any time, even off already-discounted rates, for bookings made on its site between now and Feb. 22, 2012. There are no blackout dates and there is no limit to the number of times the discount may be applied. To receive the additional 10 percent off, enter NEWROOM77 when booking.

For users with existing reservations—even if the hotel was booked elsewhere—Room 77 is offering a chance to test out its Room Concierge service, which helps travelers get the room that best matches their preferences. For those with an upcoming reservation at a three-star and above hotel, simply email your itinerary to concierge@room77.com with VIP CONCIERGE in subject line.

Additional travel news of interest:

OTAs Settle Suit by Palm Beach County – Palm Beach Post
Peek Raises Money for Planning Tourism Activities – The New York Times Bits Blog
Yoga Room Now Open at SFO Airport – San Mateo County Times
Kayak Redesign: How and Why They Did It – Tnooz
Mexico Tourism Up – Bloomberg, Travel Weekly
Travel Hiring Is on the Rise – The New York Times

Photo: U.S. Travel Association/Vote Travel

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