Corporate Overview Press Releases/ Presentations Strategic Alliances Lodging Sector GESTSM Research HSMAI Reports Destinations Sector Activity Sectors Transportation Sectors Financial Sectors Career Opportunities Contact Us DKS&A Home

CORPORATE OVERVIEW D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd. (DKS&A) specializes in market research and consulting services to all sectors2 of the travel industry. Established in 1982, the company is located in Falls Church, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. During the past two decades, DKS&A has accumulated an extensive ongoing database on brands by sector and traveler type. DKS&A places the data in a contextual marketing framework and provides consulting. DKS&A has a large client base, is recognized as the leading travel and lodging research company, and has extensive product development and competitive brand positioning experience for ROI maximization. LEADING TRAVEL AND TOURISM RESEARCH COMPANY DKS&A is the recognized leader in travel research with extensive specialization in lodging, destination information and consulting. DKS&A monitors U.S. travel over time by conducting a total of six, monthly, ongoing syndicated traveler surveys that form our DIRECTIONS® Travel Intelligence SystemSM. Public and private sector organizations utilize our information to determine competitive hotel positioning, visitation to destinations, the economic impact of travel and tourism, and whether or not to invest in travel and tourism projects. DKS&A's volume, market share, and brand ratings for destinations, hotels, cruise lines, rental cars, and airlines, are the industry standard. Articles based on DKS&A's data are periodically published in newspapers and in the most respected trade publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA TODAY, Hotel/Motel Management, Lodging Magazine, and Auto Rental News. DKS&A provides U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Commerce Department with travel related Balance of Payments and TTSA data. DKS&A has provided the American Hotel/Lodging Association (AH&LA) with direct travel and tourism spending for every U.S. state; the publication based on our LODGING PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM information, which was disseminated through AH&LA offices. DKS&A supplies volume and economic impact information to large U.S. accounting firms (Ernst & Young, PWC), destinations, and hotels to underwrite travel related investments. DKS&A works with entertainment companies to determine the market potential for theme parks worldwide and current usage information. DKS&A has provided the market sizing information, both trended (historical), current, and projected, to determine market potential and projected return on investment of new hotels. The investment decisions to build and obtain financial backing for extended stay business hotels by Choice Hotels and Marriott were based largely on DKS&A information. LARGE, PRESTIGIOUS CLIENT BASE DKS&A works with numerous clients in each travel and tourism industry sector. Experience working with destinations, theme parks, hotels, and other clients has provided us the opportunity to fully understand every U.S. travel issue. Hotel Clients:     DKS&A works with 40+ corporate hotel brands including major franchised system clients such as InterContinental Hotel Group (5 Brands), Carlson (4 Brands), Cendant (8 Brands), Choice (8 Brands), Accor (4 Brands) and Marriott (7 Brands). Other hotel clients include USFS, Extended Stay America, Hyatt, Baymont and Best Western Destinations: DKS&A works with 70+ destination organizations: state travel and tourism offices (states), convention & visitors' bureaus/chambers of commerce (CVBs), National Governments and International clients. Theme Parks: DKS&A has developed information for major U.S. theme parks including Busch Entertainment and Universal Studios. Other Clients:     Other clients include: AAA, AVIS, Bear Stearns, Discovery Communications, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ernst & Young, Fairfield Communities, General Electric, IACVB, Price Waterhouse Coopers, American Express, Marriott Vacation Club, IAAPA and USA TODAY. WHAT WE DO We provide up-to-date, continuous travel related information, plus support for practical application in all areas: Total Industry, Sectors, Segments, all Brands/Destinations/Products and Consumer/Traveler/Guest subgroups and profiles. Integrated information is developed and trended overtime utilizing both syndicated and custom market research, sophisticated internal data processing/models and scoring, and useful business reports with competitive positioning graphics. Information you know what to do with! Our information is Powerful because it is Excellent : Relevant, Accurate with Contextual Interpretation that makes sense. Some of the questions we answer for our clients every day... Market Assessment What is the size and trend of every travel industry niche market? How many visitors does the travel industry and my destination/hotel    chain/airline/rental car company attract? (What is my market share?) Who are my competitors? How many potential guests are not staying at my hotel chain? How much do they spend? What other economic benefits are realized? Targeting What is the size, penetration, and trend of every traveler subgroup? What are travelers' demographics and travel patterns? (Competitor   profiles also available) Who values my product but does not use it? (Identifying Opportunities) Where are the "non-converted" travelers? (Gap Analysis) How will "target travelers" perceive a new vacation concept? (Concept Testing) Positioning How do travelers use my hotel/airline/rental car company/credit card/destination     (Purpose of trip/stay)? What do travelers think of my product? Why do they visit? (Image) What do travelers seek and what do they avoid? (Positioning Leverage) Which markets offer the best probability of successful development?     (Investors/Developers) How should product development dollars be spent? (Obtaining Financing) Communicating What is brand and advertising awareness of my product vs my competition? Where do the travelers come from to my markets (Feed Markets)? Where do the travelers who live in each city go and why? What are the media preferences of my target travelers? (PRIZMTM Lifestyle     Segmentation) Where will my advertising dollars have the greatest impact? (Leverage Media     Budgets) For more information please e-mail us at: Info@dksa.com or call (703) 536-0933 1750 Old Meadow Road · Suite 620 · McLean, Virginia 22102 ©2006 D.K. Shifflet & Associates, Ltd.