How men choose their holidays

Ahead of the upcoming men’s holiday, analysts at AZIMUT Hotels studied the travel habits of male guests to understand the factors that influence their choice of destination. The findings show that, in most cases, men do not enjoy planning trips themselves, rely on recommendations from others when choosing a hotel, and tend to avoid short trips. Among the six types of travelers identified, two are particularly characteristic of men.

Type 1. “Situational Travelers”

For this group, the process of planning a trip and choosing a hotel is either not enjoyable or simply not a priority. As a result, they try to minimize the time spent preparing and rely on straightforward solutions:

• they do not like planning trips themselves;
• if friends recommend a hotel, they are likely to choose it;
• they often make last-minute bookings;
• they do not research hotels online;
• they are more likely to travel within their home region or a neighboring region and less likely to travel long distances across Russia;
• at the same time, they may stay at different hotels and are more open to spontaneous trips.

Type 2. “Not Fans of Short Trips.”

These men plan trips in advance. They are less inclined toward spontaneity or booking hotels for short weekend stays of one or two days and tend to prioritize reliability. This group is characterized by the following preferences:

• they tend to stay at places they have visited before and enjoyed;
• they prefer hotel chains, believing that they offer a higher level of service, as well as hotels where they have a loyalty card;
• they are more likely to book through the official website;
• they do not write reviews.

Overall, 70% of the men surveyed do not enjoy planning trips. They are happy to leave the choice to their female partners or follow recommendations from others. Another 63% of men said that a hotel’s central location directly affects the quality of a trip: the closer it is to key points on the itinerary, the less time is spent traveling and the more time remains for relaxation. Another important factor is the ability to leave a car nearby: having on-site parking is essential for 45% of men.

Men typically plan ahead and become actively involved in organizing a trip only when it is an all-male getaway. In other cases, the woman is usually the initiator and main driver of the holiday — and, accordingly, is more likely to choose the destination and hotel. The men themselves, however, see this not as a lack of initiative, but as tactical wisdom. That is why they prefer to leave the choice of trip to women from the outset, especially ahead of March 8.