#Road tripper or road trippers drivers
#Road tripper or road trippers upgrade
#Road tripper or road trippers plus

One trend Marchant is watching involves purchasing a car on the other side of the country, flying out to get it, then driving it home on an epic cross-country adventure, which happens in Europe as well. It can just as easily be about enjoying the music in Nashville, for example. Clients also lean toward doing their own driving, one exception being RVs, which can be intimidating, and are most popular for national park circuits out West.Īs far as motivations for road tripping, Marchant said, “There’s definitely a good bit of nostalgia driving people’s interest in it, but it’s also looking ahead and wanting to find new things.” He spoke about coastal Americans going to Kentucky, Tennessee, or Mississippi looking for a different side of America, but this need not be related to the contemporary political and cultural divide. He similarly identified California, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona as some of the most popular locales. In Highley’s experience, Australian and American clients are more amenable to longer segments of driving, whereas European clients may put a cap at around four hours a day.īlack Tomato’s road trips also appeal to a mix of Americans and international visitors, according to owner and co-founder Tom Marchant. “The wow factor - It’s no different for than it is for somebody in the UK who’s never set foot in North America before.” Highley noted that California road trips are crucial for attracting the international market, though Southern Utah and Northern Arizona remain top choices, and the company operates nationwide.Įven for those who can afford a private driver, 90 percent of the company’s clients opt to drive themselves for the fun of it. Highley reported that demand is doubling each year for the four-year-old company. The company’s three biggest demographics are families, empty nesters, and Gen Xers without kids - millennials aren’t high-earning enough yet, as the average cost hovers around $20,000 per trip. Highley, originally from the UK, started out marketing exclusively to the international market and he said American clients just came along organically. More than half of the All Roads North clientele is actually American, though this happened unexpectedly. “That still draws a lot of people, certainly international travelers.” “There’s just this amazing heritage and folklore, from Lewis and Clark, Steinbeck, Kerouac, all these great migrations of people throughout the country, the history of Route 66,” said Highley. Plus, nostalgia is especially influential among Highley’s international clients. Luxury road trippers expect high levels of personalization, according to Sam Highley of All Roads North. Luxury Road Trips Lure International Tourists Think high-end vehicles, six-star hotels, private guides, helicopter tours, and champagne toasts.

#Road tripper or road trippers plus

This is what leads luxury tour operators like Black Tomato to offer an “ultimate wild west road trip” for over $12,000, excluding flights, plus another through the Florida Keys for just over $5,000. With a tour operator, the more a traveler spends, the more possible and complex personalization becomes. They’re likely not shipping their cars to the states, and may be unfamiliar with the territory, so a tour operator can help shape the experience and make it feel accessible. International visitors are different altogether. Longstanding operator Trafalgar offers a Route 66 tour for just a slightly higher price. Many options hover around $1,500–$3,000 per person, but unlike a more exclusive experience, these trips can be recreated without the middle man, if the traveler is willing to do the research and comparison shopping.

#Road tripper or road trippers upgrade

Mid-range travelers, who can upgrade from DIY but can’t afford luxury, can turn to a tour operator like Auto Tours USA.

#Road tripper or road trippers drivers

Then drivers can hook up Pandora, bring Hulu on a tablet, log into Netflix on the hotel room’s Roku, rely on Waze for intel, and get Yelp reviews anywhere imaginable.īut companies are increasingly finding innovative ways to accomodate road trippers at both ends of the economic spectrum. Travel Association’s 2017 Domestic Travel Market Report. Seventy-six percent of domestic trips in 2016 relied on the traveler’s own vehicle as the primary mode of transportation, according to the U.S. But most road trips aren’t being sold by a company - American road trips have long been DIY.įor so many American travelers, road trip personalization is easily done at little cost. Personalization is key in travel, fostering loyalty in unique ways.