Nowadays, we’re less anxious and uncertain than we were at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We now see the light at the end of this dark tunnel to better understand travelers’ behavior and needs. After a year and a half, we have summed up many learnings, studies, and analyses in the travel industry.
So, why not summarize these findings in TRAVEL TRENDS, BEHAVIOR & EXPENDITURE IN 2021-2022?
1- The longing of traveling is the fuel to reactivate the industry
There is no better way to express what we all felt through this pandemic than this quote of Franz Kafka, applicable to many situations.
“I miss you deeply, unfathomably, senselessly, terribly.”
Until now, many of us took for granted the freedom of life, in which traveling is essential. That’s why in a recent study conducted by American Express regarding consumers’ expenditure and behavior in 2021, they found that 81% of people appreciate the freedom of traveling more than they did before the pandemic, 83% also agreed that traveling is the activity they miss the most now. Also, 60% of people are dreaming of planning a wellness-focused trip. Not in vain, 22% of consumers are saving for traveling in the next 12 months.
2- Traveling is the feed for the soul
One of the positive learnings the pandemic left us is being more conscious on our day-by-day. Thus, we realized that traveling is vital to being mentally healthy, as 88% of people stated. Moreover, 62% of people’s travel sentiment is related to relaxation and resting. For doing so, outdoor activities are crucial, and that’s why many travelers are seeking this type of experience while traveling.
65% of Canadians are looking to experience the outdoors during their trips, followed by Americans (58%), Australians (54%), and British (53%). In the end, traveling helps us restore our energy and make us feel new after all.
Among the reconnection with nature through the outdoors, people seek meaningful experiences to help their wellness. Consequently, 76% of consumers want to spend more to improve their well-being. So, 55% of them would be willing to pay extra for wellness activities on future travels.
3- Five main reasons to travel nowadays
After understanding how our consciousness has evolved and how traveling fuels our lives, why do we travel nowadays?
According to an American Express report, 44% of Americans want to reconnect with friends and family, leading this trend that globally is 36%. On the other hand, 73% of British people wish to travel for relaxing and unwinding, followed closely by Canadians (72%). Moreover, 40% of Japanese stated that travel supports their mental health, even though it represents 28% worldwide. 52% of Australians want to experience something new while traveling, while British (50%) and Americans (48%) are close to Aussies.
The fifth reason is a new way of traveling to have an eye on it called Ed-Ventures. It is the combination of education and adventure balanced with traveling, working, and technologies. This results in people’s need to experience and enjoy open spaces, reconnecting with nature through nature walks, nature tourism, and wellness and well-being.
4- The new luxury in the travel industry
Besides what luxury travels meant in 2019, nowadays, this type of trip has evolved too. From now on, luxury for travelers means more privacy during their journey, so tailor-made and personalized experiences are a must for many people. Additionally, there is an increasing need for high hygiene standards throughout the trip to guarantee people’s safety in a pandemic era. Last but not least, travelers are looking for travels with purpose and a measurable impact on nature and local communities.
If you want to go deep into this matter, please check this article we published recently.
5- Saving through credit cards?
Considering that, according to the results that American Express report got in its study, 62% of people are focusing on improving their finances this 2021, people are saving more for traveling in the next 12 months. Yet, one of the ways that consumers are using it for saving is credit cards.
Thus, 70% of Americans save more on their credit card points than they did in 2019. 51% of cardholders are looking for deals provided by their credit cards companies. 35% of them seek out active offers for this holiday through their credit cards; for example, travel offers represent 52% of the type of deal that people are looking for.
To sum up, we can conclude that the main travel trends in 2021-22 are related to helping travelers feel well and mentally healthy by reconnecting with nature through outdoor activities. They expect and value private and personalized experiences, so they are willing to pay more for doing so. Then, credit cards are essential for travelers because they offer them the option of saving through their reward points, especially for Americans. In the end, we have understood that traveling is essential for contemporary men/women’s well-being.