Changing travel incentives affect customer priorities
New insights, data and research spanning 20,000 travellers across 28 countries and territories combine to uncover the trends that will shape the way we experience travel in the year ahead, and beyond
Travel booking platform Booking.com has combined research from more than 20,000 travellers across 28 countries and territories with insights from proprietary search and endorsement data, as well as over 20 years’ of travel expertise, to reveal nine predictions for the future of travel - in the coming year and beyond. With over half (53 per cent) of global travellers responding that they won’t be comfortable travelling until a coronavirus vaccine or treatment is in place, it may be a long time before we experience the world as freely as we did previously, but the industry will continue to adapt at pace, satiating our appetite to travel whenever it’s safe to do so.
Amidst new waves of travel hiatuses, restrictions and continued uncertainty, an innate human desire to travel has not been dampened. During recent lockdowns two-thirds (65 per cent) of travellers reported being excited about traveling again, while 61 per cent indicated they are more appreciative of travel and will likewise not take it for granted in the future. Travellers also report that they plan to take a similar number of trips both domestically and internationally in the 12 months after travel restrictions are lifted in their country, as they did in the year pre-pandemic (March 2019 - March 2020).
Travellers becoming more price-conscious
The financial legacy of Coronavirus will inevitably see people demand more bang for their buck in the future. Sixty-two per cent of travellers will be more price-conscious when it comes to searching and planning a trip in the future and 55 per cent are more likely to hunt down promotions and savings, behaviours that are predicted to last years. Local travel has risen to the fore as it remains easier, safer and happily often more sustainable.
Looking ahead, staying closer to home will continue to be at the forefront of travel agendas. Forty-seven per cent of people still plan to travel within their own country in the medium term (seven-12 months’ time), with 38 per cent planning to do so in the longer term (in over a year’s time). When it comes to local travel, 43 per cent plan to explore a new destination within their home region/country and 46 per cent will take the time to appreciate the natural beauty of their home country, while - locally or not, half intend to travel somewhere they’ve already been previously for its familiarity.
Travellers look to the travel industry for updated safety measures
Additionally, global travellers (79 per cent) will take more precautions due to Coronavirus and will look to the travel industry to help them gear up for this new normal. Governments, travel associations and providers will have to work cohesively to set consistent standards to help keep travellers safe, and with expectations heightened, some destinations and businesses will need to work harder to regain travellers’ trust.
Almost 60 per cent of travellers will avoid certain destinations (rising to 67 per cent of baby boomers), and 70 per cent expect tourist attractions to adapt to allow for social distancing. At the same time, 70 per cent will only book a particular accommodation if it’s clear what health and hygiene policies it has in place, with three quarters (75 per cent) favouring accommodations that have antibacterial and sanitising products.
With that in mind, it seems that travellers will be more likely to buy travel insurance, making sure they will stay safe and be able to travel without worrying.