Themed Hotels and Holidays - UK - May 2004

SUMMARY

This report explores the themed hotels and holidays sector of the UK tourism industry. While themed hotels reflect different cultures, sports, music and fashions in their design of rooms, staff, products and services, themed holidays consist of packaged trips that may include transport and accommodation combined with organised activities.

Despite the market's limited penetration, a large population can be targeted as potential consumers. The small themed hotel and holiday niche has tremendous room for growth, and investment in this market is constantly rising.

Recent trends show that tour operators increasingly offer themed and special interest holidays, along with holiday centres that advertise themed breaks to consumers.

Since families particularly favour themed holidays and hotels, many breaks cater to this market. Mintel provides expert analysis on target socio-economic and demographic groups that show the greatest interest in breaks.

Factors such as consumer confidence in the economy, population changes, holiday expenditures, and consumer attitude affect the growth of themed breaks. Marketers that appeal to key markets will experience the most success.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Abbreviations

Definitions

Consumer research

Abbreviations

Summary of Key Report Findings

Small niche market

Continued investment in themed hotels

Increase of themed holidays on offer

Good potential consumer groups but families are key

More upmarket themes required for mature consumers

Market Factors

Consumer confidence and the economy

Figure 1: GDP, consumer expenditure and interest base rate, 1999-2007

Population

Figure 2: Population growth, by age group, 1999-2007

The holiday market

Figure 3: Domestic and overseas holidays and expenditure, 1999-2004

Short breaks versus long breaks

Figure 4: Short break holidays market, by volume, domestic and overseas,1998-2003

Hotel industry recovery

Market Size and Trends

Themed hotels

Theme park 'themed' hotels

Themed holidays

Holiday centres

Coach holidays

The Supply Structure

Themed hotels

The Walt Disney Company

Mandalay Resort Group

The Kessler Collection

Hotel Properties Ltd

Sol Melia

Other international operators

Loews Hotels

Universal Studios Port Aventura

The Tussauds Group

Themed holiday operators

Holiday centres

Coach tour operators

The Consumer

Themed holidays taken and themed hotels visited

Figure 5: Attitudes towards themed holidays and hotels, March 2004

Themed holiday demographics

Figure 6: Themed holidays taken, by gender, age, socio-economic group andworking status, March 2004

Figure 7: Themed holidays taken, by detailed lifestage, March 2004

Figure 8: Themed holidays taken, by region and ACORN categories, March2004

Figure 9: Themed holidays taken, by media usage, supermarket usage and TVviewing, March 2004

Themed hotel demographics

Figure 10: Themed hotels, by gender, age, socio-economic group and workingstatus, March 2004

Figure 11: Themed hotels, by detailed lifestage, March 2004

Figure 12: Themed hotels, by region and ACORN categories, March 2004

Figure 13: Themed hotels, by media usage, supermarket usage and TVviewing, March 2004

The Future

The UK themed hotel market takes its lead from America...

...European market less developed

Strategic targeting of consumer groups is key to success

Potential growth in Asia

UK growth linked to short breaks

Forecast

Scenario 1

Figure 46: Forecast of themed holiday and hotel target groups, Scenario 1,2004-09

Scenario 2

Figure 47: Forecast of themed holiday and hotel target groups, Scenario 2,2004-09

Scenario 3

Figure 48: Forecast of themed holiday and hotel typologies, Scenario 3,2004-09

Appendix: Research Methodology