HB On The Scene: Hilton To Launch Leisure Traveler Website

NEW YORK— Hilton Hotels Corp. is out to save the term “leisure time” from becoming an oxymoron. Backed by a panel of 12 experts who focus on and analyze leisure activities from a variety of perspectives, the corporation said during a conference held here at the New York Hilton its Leisure Time Advocacy (LTA) initiative crafted last year would launch a website Jan. 22, aimed at capturing more leisure travelers by streamlining their online searches and providing pertinent information, combined with tips and advice from the panel. The site, www.myleisuretrip.com, will focus on cities in the United States and Canada, and offer a variety of attractions/entertainment links and Hilton Hotel brand information. The LTA addresses “time poverty” from a leisure point of view and is seeking to help spread a greater understanding of life/leisure/work balance among consumers, who if they get it together, theoretically could then spend more time enjoying Hilton properties worldwide. As most hoteliers know, leisure travel has been the life preserver around the industry for the past two years as business travel ebbed from the scene, mired in the sluggish economy and post-Sept. 11, 2001 pullback. Hilton commissioned a study that looked at just how American consumers were spending their time and found work came first, followed by being tethered to the television set and its offerings, with family time coming in third. Interestingly, however, while 32% of the survey respondents said they backburner having “fun” due to the guilt of not doing something “more productive,” seven out of 10 said they needed more fun in their lives. And while 69% felt they needed a vacation “right now,” the study showed only 55% took all the vacation days to which they’re entitled. More than 65% of the 1,559 working people polled stated they are stressed and under pressure, with 40% of employees averaging more than 50 hours a week working. Yet only 19% were willing to trade a day’s pay to get an extra day off each week. While individual Hilton brands for decades have addressed the needs of stressed guests, carving weekend getaway promotions and mini-vacation packages, the new initiative puts the entire weight of the Hilton Family of Hotels behind the effort and the website. These include Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Hilton Grand Vacations Club. “Our vision as a corporation is to be the first choice of the world’s travelers,” said Tom Keltner, president/brand performance and franchise development group, Hilton Hotels Corp. “We clearly have the ability through the kind of products we have and the price points to offer almost anything to anybody wherever they want to travel. That means not only the business traveler but the leisure traveler as well. Leisure may represent in some of our brands 55% or 60% of our business; in other brands only 30%-35%. But it’s a sizable amount regardless of [which]brand you look at.” Keltner observed there’s an entire class of consumers— leisure-time-deficit people— who do not have enough time, and if they do, it is not being used as they would like to use it. “That’s sort of endemic in our society. Probably the most valuable currency we have is time. And how we spend it is very important, not only in the work life but also in our leisure life,” he said. He noted post-Sept. 11, 2001 there has been “a huge emphasis of people reconnecting with family and friends…we thought that it’s more powerful for us as a family of brands to talk about leisure time with one voice and to help people understand why it’s important that they get control of their leisure lives, why it actually makes them more productive at work and then to help them find ways to do that,” said Keltner. “It’s important to our company not only in terms of how we sell hotel rooms but in terms of enabling our guests to figure out ways to better control their leisure activities.” Die