25 Percent American Adults Changing Their Plans Due to Higher Gas Costs
MARBLEHEAD, Mass.--May 26, 2005--| Introducing Children to the Outdoors is Important to Majority of American Families, But For Some, Cost May Be An Issue |
As Americans plan to hit the road for their summer vacations, many are headed for the great outdoors, but higher gas prices are influencing the plans of one out of every four (25%) adults, according to a survey commissioned by CGPR, a Marblehead, Mass. public relations firm, and conducted by Harris Interactive(R). The survey was fielded online from May 11-13, 2005 among a nationwide sample of 2,129 U.S. adults (18+), of whom 838 have children under 18.
Two-thirds (66%) of surveyed adults with children under 18 feel it is important to introduce their children to outdoor activities and nature; forty percent (40%) said involving their children in the outdoors is something they do "all the time."
Surprisingly, while an outdoor vacation such as hiking and camping is relatively inexpensive compared to, say, visiting a resort, one of four (25%) U.S. adults with children under 18 indicated that introducing their children to outdoor activities and nature is something they would do more if they had the money.
Gas Prices Impact Outdoor Vacation Plans
With high gas prices on the minds of most motorists (an average of $2.11 per gallon for regular gas according to today's AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report), the CGPR Poll asked whether the increased cost of fuel has impacted plans to enjoy an outdoor vacation.
Of the 2,129 U.S. adults (18+) surveyed, just over half (54%) indicated they had planned or are planning to take an outdoor vacation this summer. One-fifth (21%) said that the cost of gas has caused them to alter their plans to take a vacation outdoors, with 11% saying they will abandon their outdoor vacation plans and another 10% saying they will shorten the duration of their outdoor vacation. Thirty percent of those surveyed remained undeterred by higher gas costs.
The other 46 percent of respondents, who did not say they had planned or are planning an outdoor vacation this summer, either weren't planning one (19%), or decided to keep their nose to the grindstone and forego a summer vacation entirely (27%).
"Outdoor manufacturers obviously need to convince American consumers that outdoor recreation has enormous benefits in terms of their health and well-being, benefits that far outweigh the costs which are still lower than other vacation options," said Chris Goddard, president of CGPR, which commissioned the survey.
Introducing Kids to the Outdoors is Important, but Some Feel it is too Expensive
Adults aged 55 years and older with children under 18 are more likely to feel it's important to introduce their children to outdoor activities and nature (77% feel this way, versus 65% of those aged 18-54 with children under 18).(a)
Among those adults with children under 18, the desire to introduce youngsters to the outdoors increases by level of education (61% of those with no college experience indicated they feel it's important, versus 68% of those with some college experience but no four-year degree, and 74% of those with a four-year degree and beyond).
Just under one-third (31%) of adults with children under 18 indicated that introducing their children to outdoor activities and nature is something they would do more often if they had the time. Of those with children under 18, younger adults were more likely to indicate this than older adults (35% of those aged 18-44, versus 25% of those aged 45-54, and 14% of those aged 55 years and older).
Among those with children under 18, younger adults were more likely than older adults to say that introducing their children to outdoor activities and nature is something they would do more if they had money (32% of those aged 18-34 versus 24% of those aged 35-54, and 10% of those aged 55 years and older).
Those with higher levels of education were more likely to indicate this (38% of those with a four-year degree and beyond, versus 31% of those with some college experience but no four-year degree, and 27% of those with no college experience at all).
Methodology: Harris Interactive(R) fielded the study from May 11, 2005-13, 2005 via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,129 U.S. adults (18+), among whom 838 have children under 18. Data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online.
Though this online sample is not a probability sample, in theory, with a probability sample of this size, Harris Interactive estimates with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub-samples of adults with children under 18 (838); and those adults with children under 18 who are aged 18-54 (742), aged 18-44 (576), aged 45-54 (166), aged 55+ (96), aged 18-34 (309), aged 35-54 (433), who have no college experience (187), who have some college experience but no four-year degree (364), who have a four-year degree or beyond (287) is higher and varies.
About CGPR: CGPR is a boutique public relations firm that works primarily with companies in the consumer, general sports, outdoor, travel and winter sports categories. Chris Ann Goddard, a public relations veteran with over 30 years of experience, heads CGPR. The agency is known for its strong media relations skills, strategic planning, event planning and execution, sponsorship expertise and client service. www.cgprpublicrelations.com
About Harris Interactive: Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through its U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries, HI Europe in London (www.hieurope.com), Novatris in Paris (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.
(a) Base size for adults 55 and older with children under 18 is below 100.
