The Endemic Travel Trends in 2022
As the world transitions from a pandemic to an endemic, travellers are gearing up for their new worldwide adventures. This means that communicators have to evolve their messaging based on the significant changes that shake up the travel industry.
Market prediction and insights from industry experts are crucial for public relations practitioners to become proactive drivers of change. This article unpacks the top 3 trends that the travel industry can expect in 2022.
Travellers are at the First Stage of Travel
Travel marketing experts will know that all travellers go through five stages of travel – dreaming, planning, booking, experiencing and sharing. As per Google’s Think Travel Research, most travellers are presently in the dreaming phase, where they yearn for their next holiday.
It is now the best time to reach out to these future travellers through light-hearted, non-hard sell social content which is primarily organic and user-generated. Start a virtual conversation and engage them early; subsequently, re-engage and sell the dream. It is also helpful to monitor and be current with the latest social trends and adapt to a product suite that is best suited to the preferences of the new traveller.
The New Travel Pattern
After a two-year hiatus for many, travellers will make serious plans to go further, and international travel will triumph over domestic travel. In a Google’s Think Report research, 87% of future travellers will take an international trip of more than five days, compared to the 2019 average of 3.8 days per destination. Of which, 78% of travellers will prefer luxury stays and experiences. Luxury travel can be determined by 5 Cs – culture, cuisine, community, content and customisation. These travel plans are likely leisure holidays, celebrating major milestone events and longer planning and booking cycles.
Covid Related Considerations
Living in an endemic does not eliminate certain restrictions imposed by the destinations, and getting fully vaccinated is currently the number one motivator for international travel. The quarantine preference will be a huge differentiating factor.
Travellers will be asking more specific quarantine questions such as the length of quarantine, types of accommodation, size of housing, the additional use of amenities, the option of a balcony for fresh air, in-room entertainment and upgraded meal packages.
