More than 75% of Americans said they like to make all their travel arrangements themselves, according to a recent consumer survey commissioned by the U.S. Tour Operators Association.
Only 10% of those surveyed said they mostly book FIT tours and 5% said they buy packages, USTOA reported.
"The survey points out that clearly there are tremendous prejudices and misconceptions to overcome about packaged travel versus independent travel," Bob Whitley, president of the USTOA, said in a statement.
"When it comes to tours, people think it means being herded together in a large group and [being] on the go all the time. However, this is not the case," Whitley stated. "Travel agents can play an important role in educating their clients about the diversity of tours and packages."
According to the survey, baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) were most likely to choose packaged travel, with a third of boomers saying they enjoy independent touring.
A similar USTOA survey conducted in 2006 found that 70% of those ages 55 to 64 were likely to buy a tour or vacation package.
The telephone survey of 1,000 adults was commissioned by USTOA and conducted in late May by TNS Global, a market research group.