Touring on a Shoestring

Sure, we'd all like a vacation, but with consumers cowed by recession fears, is anyone actually thinking about travel? Experts insist that high gas prices, a tightening job market and less discretionary income will not dissuade most Americans from traveling in 2008—and book publishers are betting on it.

There does seem to be a lot of angst about the downturn in the economy, but the concern has yet to spill over into influence,” says Marc Jennings, president of Langenscheidt Publishing Group, home to Berlitz Publishing and Insight Guides. “From what we understand, travel spending by Americans is still strong and forecast to be up in 2008.”

Though some attribute the projected increase to rising costs, the Travel Industry Association of America projects moderate gains for 2008—a spending increase of 5.2% for domestic and international travel, up to $778.2 billion. And a recent consumer survey by the Conference Board found that 45.8% of Americans intend to take a vacation within six months—down just slightly from 46.4% a year ago. So perhaps even during trying times, Americans will take their two weeks and run with them. “People see travel as an integral part of their lives—and a certain amount of their financial package will be spent on it,” says Scott Watrous, president of Globe Pequot Press.

If so, the question for travel book publishers is not if, but how—and most anticipate a new concern for cost, a desire to stay close to home and perhaps even a different take on the idea of vacation.

“I think mass market tourism is most threatened,” says Michael Spring, publisher of Wiley's Frommer's imprint, which is banking on Pauline Frommer's Spend Less, See More guides. Spring calls them the most successful line the imprint has published. Launched two years ago and written by the daughter of travel guide legend Arthur Frommer, the 17-title series will swell to 29 by 2009. “Pauline makes no apologies for budget travel. I think she'd argue that the less money you have, the more you see,” says Spring. “People know there's a voice behind the book—a travel expert sitting down with them and telling them what they like and don't like.”

That type of personality—and a strategic approach to making the most of time and money—keeps sales for the Rick Steves series so strong. “Rick grows at the rate of the exchange rate—we're holding steady and still growing,” says Avalon Travel publisher Bill Newlin. “He's the ultimate standard bearer for value—every page is charged with suggestions and advice.” One reason Steves, who began teaching “European Travel Cheap” courses at the University of Washington in the '70s, remains so relevant is his ever-expanding brand. Sales of his popular DVD series topped $1 million in 2007; a recent e-mail blast included 20 ways to “take back” the 20% the dollar has lost to the euro, such as opting for buses over trains or avoiding unnecessary ATM fees with fewer, larger withdrawals.

Though the exchange rate is even higher in the U.K, some Britain-based insiders—including Martin Dunford, Rough Guides' publishing director—have a similar mix of hope and caution. “We've enjoyed five years of growth in the U.S. market,” says Dunford. “And although I imagine that many would be frightened by the cost of a cab in London, Americans are still going to Europe in huge numbers.”

That's why, in April, Rough Guides will publish The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget—the first in a new series and, says Dunford, not simply written for backpackers and students. “Travel is one thing people are reluctant to cut back on,” he says. “So we see budget travel making a huge comeback.” As Travelers' Tales editor-at-large Sean O'Reilly puts it, “If the economy goes to hell in a handbasket, you're going to have some curtailment of travel, but people are even more interested in getting more for their money.”

Since one sure way of sticking to a budget is to stay closer to home, many travel publishers have turned their attention to U.S.–based titles. Mere days before sending their spring/summer 2008 catalogue to press, independent Interlink Books held off on plans for Tanzania and Ethiopia guides and instead hastened the publication of specialized guides to Florida and New York City. “We've seen mild recessions and heavier recessions, and thought really far away places would be way too expensive this year,” says publisher Michel Moushabeck. “Instead, we went with places that are considered very inexpensive to American travelers.”

Other small presses are hoping that the weak dollar may be their strength: “Since our Hidden Travel Guides focus primarily on domestic destinations, we actually see benefits in these economic trends,” says Ray Riegert at Ulysses Press. And though Lonely Planet's 300+ authors cover every cranny of the globe, Brice Gosnell, the imprint's regional publisher for the Americas, sees domestic destinations picking up. Lonely Planet has rated the U.S. this year's top destination, with Mexico a close second. “The housing market and security fears play into that. Plus, it's an election year—people want to stay local and keep their fingers on the pulse,” says Gosnell.

Those willing to venture outside the continental U.S. may not pay to cross an ocean. “Mexico is the number one international destination for American travelers, and Mexico City is particularly hot,” says Gosnell. (A new Lonely Planet guidebook to the capital city will be published this year.) “And Canada, too—you can go to Quebec and feel like you're in France.”

But will the dollar/euro exchange rate blues really keep American travelers getting their Eiffel Tower fix at Las Vegas's Paris casino? One oft-cited Western European exception to the rule is Italy. “It's a powerful destination for Americans and our top-selling area as a whole,” says Fodor's publisher Tim Jarrell. “Even if it declines a little bit, you're not going to see it evaporate overnight.”

Europe will also remain hot for an ever-growing segment of American travelers: students. “The number of college students studying abroad has doubled in the decade, and travel experience has become a fundamental part of a college—and sometimes a high school—education,” says David Moldawer, editor of the St. Martin's Let's Go line. “Since study abroad is often supported by the colleges and in most cases fully covered by financial aid, I think that Europe will still be at the top of most students' lists.”

No matter how near or far the destination, the focus these days is not simply on getting there—it's on what to do once you set down your bags. “The big buzzword is 'authentic,' ” says Watrous at Globe Pequot. “You're not going to get that experience at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun.”

Luckily, for Americans, diversity of terrain and tourism options are a car ride—or a short flight—away. New York City, Las Vegas and Miami are always hot city destinations, but many publishers have noted increased interest in national parks. Avalon Travel's Moon series will release guides to Zion & Bryce, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone this year; other publishers see the trend.

“Part of it may be a sense of the preciousness of the world—people wanting to see wildlife and great landscapes because they're not going to be around forever,” says Rough Guides' Dunford. Parks also provide an especially family-friendly destination during what some have called a mini–baby boom. February brings the Rough Guide to Travel with Babies and Young Children—a practical guide and an inspiration for parents who are still interested in independent travel experiences—who don't see their traveling days as over.

In March, RLI Press will roll out the updated version of Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Home. Though the title is bound to appeal to baby boomers, coauthor Carol White insists the open road offers something for everyone. “The ever-stressed family is looking for convenient ways to bond their family closer together and provide both entertainment and education—what some have called edutainment,” she says. “RVing is no longer just a retired person's endeavor. The most quickly growing segment is the Gen-Xers, who are buying 'toy haulers' and other family-oriented RVs in record numbers.”

But the family-friendly vacation package that has gained the most steam in the past five years is cruising. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, ships have seen a record number of passengers—close to 12.5 million—in 2006, up from 8.65 million in 2002. The organization predicts that its member lines will carry even more this year. “Many people see this as an efficient way to cover a lot of activities and destinations,” says Jennings at Langenscheidt. Its Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, now in its 23rd year, has reviews of more than 280 different ships written by Douglas Ward, a former cruise director for Cunard who's reportedly spent more than 5,400 days at sea.

Though the Caribbean is still the top market for weeks at sea, this trend can't be contained. According to CruiseCritic.com, European and Asian cruises will be more popular this year, with pickup at ports of call along Croatia's coast or at stops surrounding the Black Sea. Next month, Fodor's will release the first edition of Complete Guide to European Cruises. “Cruising can often be less hassle than planning a regular trip,” says Jarrell, “and river cruises in Europe are a great way to cover a lot of territory without the fuss of planning how to get from point A to point B.”

Long stretches at sea aside, budget-conscious travelers are less likely to see vacations as a two-week-at-a-time phenomenon. According to Deloitte & Touche's latest online travel survey, almost half of Americans says they take more short vacations and fewer long ones than they used to. And though gas prices topped out at about $3 a gallon at the end of this year, AAA saw more than 53 million Americans driving this holiday season—a 0.7% gain over last year. “High gas prices didn't prevent Americans from traveling,” says AAA PR manager Heather Hunter, “but probably did cause them to economize by journeying closer to home, spending fewer days away or opting to save money by staying in less expensive hotels, eating in cheaper restaurants or using discount cards and special promotions.”

“I've noticed that I've been taking a lot more three- or four-day weekends—they're more affordable and break things up,” says Lonely Planet's Gosnell. But since people don't necessarily plan a weekend in Santa Fe the same way they would a trek across Southeast Asia, Gosnell says the imprint plans to launch a new series to fit this new travel model. Since more and more short-trippers are booking their lodging in advance online, the Lonely Planet series will eschew extensive hotel descriptions in favor of longer shopping listings.

Indeed, budget-savvy consumers are turning to sites like Expedia and Trip-Advisor to get the most for their travel dollars. And while the jury is still out on just how much influence the Web has on content-driven travel info, most major players aim to amp up their online presence this year. “Let's Go plans to launch a revamped version of its own site in 2008 with many new mapping, blogging and social networking features to complement its print titles,” says editor Moldawer.

The goal for most is not to replace the guide but to supplement it—giving potential book buyers a taste of content and a sense of the imprint. So while you might download walking tours from Rick Steves or check out Arthur Frommer's blog before you take off—or add your “review” to Fodor's forums or even connect with fellow Let's Go travelers upon your return—most publishers are betting you're still flipping guidebook pages while you're away. After all, says Moldawer, “when you're on the road with a pack on your back, nothing beats a book in your hand.”