Amadeus releases 2023 travel trends
Digital nomads, biometric payments and team-building trips abroad expected to become more widespread this year
Travel technology provider Amadeus has identified five trends in its 2023 Travel Trends report which it believes will play a role in shaping the industry in the coming year.
“Travellers worldwide expect seamless travel experiences driven by comfort, security and personalisation,” said Mani Ganeshan, Global Head of Engineering, Travel Sellers Unit and Centre Head at Amadeus Labs Bengaluru. “The growing sophistication of technology underpins travel providers’ ability to deliver on these expectations – and transform the customer experience.
This year is expected to be a big one for the travel industry – air traffic is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels by June.
More digital nomads
Amadeus predicts that remote workers will settle into a more ‘nomadic lifestyle’. This includes migrating to places further away from their physical office, spending less time at home due to the adoption of ‘work from anywhere’ policies.
Workers may opt to spend more time with friends or family within their home country, or choose to travel abroad while still working.
Amadeus said it was also seeing the continued rise of governments looking to attract ‘digital nomads’ to their countries, through preferable visa schemes and other incentives. Croatia, Georgia, Germany and Iceland are just four examples.
Team-building business travel
Companies are also using travel as an opportunity for ‘team bonding’. There’s an uptick in what it calls ‘internal travel’ plans, where teams of colleagues are brought together for the specific purpose of strengthening relationships.
The growing popularity of this form of travel could be related to the challenges of building a team in an era of remote working. There may also be a reduced need for traditional business travel for meetings – leading to larger budgets for other forms of work travel.
Biometric payments
While airports already use biometric data for document identification, Amadeus forecasts that the technology will become more widespread in the near future – potentially allowing travellers to make payments without reaching for their wallet.
Biometric identity checks facilitate airport check-ins, luggage drop-off and plane boarding – but could be expanded to cover payments while travelling, such as purchasing an in-flight meal, seat upgrades, train tickets or late checkouts from hotels.
Travel retailer Hudson has already begun a small trial of the Amazon One biometric payment solution at its store in Nashville International Airport.
Digital experiences
The growth of virtual technology could see travellers ‘trialling’ luxury cruise holidays and other high-cost experiences online. People could also ‘visit’ a range of cultural experiences, such as virtual concerts and exhibitions, from the comfort of home.
Amadeus says this technology could have enormous potential for pre-trip planning. Walt Disney Corporation has plans to create a real-world theme park ride incorporating a parallel ‘3D virtual world experience’, while the city of Seoul has announced plans to develop a ‘metaverse’ replica of itself, to help residents access public services.
‘Travelling light’
Reflecting a growing interest in reducing carbon footprints, as well as the cost of checked-in luggage, Amadeus found that an increasing number of hotels and resorts are giving customers the opportunity to rent various bulky items, rather than bringing their own. This includes sports equipment and workout clothes.