Latest Travel Trends
Revanista
The world of travel is undergoing transformation!
Up to a few years ago we took it for granted that we could choose when and where we travelled, but the pandemic changed this and now travellers have a newfound desire to savour the old and experience the new.
There have been major changes in how people plan, book and travel and they are even more intentional about how they choose to spend their time away from home. This has resulted in trends like slow travel, sustainable travel, spiritual retreats and wellbeing taking on newfound levels of importance.
Social Media is Changing the Way We Travel
Social media has increased general travel knowledge leading to newer trends on how trips are researched, planned, and booked. Millennials and Gen-Z tourists are heavily influenced by social media and pop culture with many choosing a destination based on photos and videos shared by others.
TikTok is becoming the younger generation’s Google. The TikTok search feature makes it easy to find information that travellers want and while it is not as detailed as traditional searches videos posted amass views because it is unbiased content that people can use to help plan and visualise their trips.
TIP: Utilise social content to captivate interest in new travel experiences and propel interest in your brand.
Staycations
The Staycation tourism trend is here to stay. Even though air travel has resumed many tourists have become accustomed to Staycations and look forward to a break without the stress of flying. Domestic tourists want to experience urban centres, small towns or the countryside with many booking breaks to spend quality time exploring or relaxing with loved ones.
TIP: To attract staycationers, know what your locality offers your audience and appeal directly to them with tailored marketing campaigns including enticing last-minute deals.
Wellness Travel – Emerging Trends
Sleep Tourism
Sleep tourism is growing in popularity and can include a special hotel room or outdoor space to optimise sleep and other wellness experiences to de-stress and improve sleep issues.
For many, sleep is a luxury and there is a growing trend among travellers looking to restore balance in their lives by focusing on mental, physical and, in some cases, emotional wellbeing.
Silence is Golden
Not everyone associates travel with adventure, and an increasing number of people are looking for peace and quiet as an accessible form of self-care away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This can be as undemanding as clean breathable fresh air, a tranquil area for practising yoga or having access to unique spa treatments in a quiet and restful environment.
TIP: Focus on what these travellers are looking for, be it weighted.
The Bucket List
Since the pandemic people have been energised to re-examine their Bucket List and kickstart some experiences and milestone trips. Travellers are now more inclined to live in the moment and are forging ahead with planning travel, and other fun adventures that can help them get the most out of life.
TIP: Capitalise on this trend by highlighting beautiful destinations or unique experiences in your area.
Music Tourism
Music and travel are innately intertwined, and many destinations have their own music associations from rock, pop, jazz, rap, hip hop, folk music connotations. People are now travelling to live concerts and festivals from all over the world and music tourism is increasingly recognised as an industry with economic and social impact.
TIP: Create music playlists that are signatures of your location or brand.
Bleisure, Nomad and Esports
Bleisure travellers are travellers who combine business commitments with non-work activities on the same trip, making time for leisure and relaxation before, during, or after a work trip or corporate event.
Contrastingly, a digital nomad can be based literally anywhere in the world if there is a reliable internet connection, using their skills to work via laptops, social media, and mobile phones. The rise in remote work and job opportunities has made it easier for workers to try out a digital nomad lifestyle while earning income and building a career.
Likewise, Esports, or competitive video gaming, is a booming industry that offers exciting opportunities for aspiring players there are more jobs in esports than ever before. In order to succeed at a competitive level, players must ensure that they are performing to the best of their ability every single day.
These lifestyles allow individuals to explore new destinations, experience different cultures, and create their own schedules, all while earning a living.
TIP: Facilitate these new travel practices by marketing long stay discounts, fast reliable Wi-Fi, and a quality workspace (desk, chair, lighting, etc).
Genealogy Tourism
Genealogy tourism travel (also called DNA tourism, ancestry, or heritage travel) is for tourists who have an ancestral connection to their destination. Combining the excitement of travel with the deep sense of connection that comes from uncovering their roots, ancestry tourism offers a more meaningful way to explore the world.
TIP: Countless travellers are now discovering their roots and are eager to visit their country of origin and learn about their cultural ancestries in a more general way so be sure to promote the historical and cultural heritage of your locality.
Plus-Size
Travel is for everyone and should be comfortable and accessible for everyone, regardless of size. There is a growing trend to cater for plus size travellers with many sharing their positive experiences TikTok and Instagram.
TIP: Train staff how to use language that does not focus on a person’s body size, shape, or abilities but instead treats them with respect and dignity & be inclusive in marketing campaigns imagery.
Local Hidden Gems
Not all tourists are interested mass marketing and run of the mill major tourist attractions. An increasing number of travellers prefer to experience what is unique to an area and seek out local hidden gems that are off the beaten track.
TIP: Highlight and share unique and bespoke events and attractions in your local area that guests can enjoy for a memorable and personal experience.
Environmentally Conscious Travellers
There is an increasing appetite for more sustainable tourism among leisure travellers across the globe with guests are actively seeking eco-friendly accommodation. Embracing sustainable practices in the hotel industry not only benefits the environment but also helps to save money on running your business.
TIP: Consider what eco-friendly practices you can implement in order to be sustainable such as reducing single-use plastic items like disposable plastic straws, cups, and cutlery.
Lightweight Travel
We all love the excitement of staying at hotel for a special event such as a wedding or Gala Ball, however with this comes need to pack extra accoutrements and this can be a nightmare if travelling by public transport or indeed by air.
Go the extra mile for guests attending an event or extended stay at your hotel. Present guests with an opportunity to rent items locally so they don’t have to overpack or pay excess airline baggage fees.
TIP: Enhance the overall travel experience for those who prefer to travel light. Collaborate with local rental businesses so that guests can rent suits, dresses, or accessory items.
Flat-Pack
A new hospitality trend “flat-pack hotels” is altering the game for both tourists and hotel owners.
These are prefabricated, modular rooms that can be swiftly put together on location making them perfect for pop-up events and transient installations.
TIP: These structures give visitors a distinctive and individualized experience and are sustainable and ecologically friendly and can be utilized by hotels during peak periods.
Futuristic Approach to Planning a Trip
AI and ChatGPT is now widely used to help travellers plan their trip or find activities at their destination within seconds by feeding in their destination, budget, number of days etc. and is taking the place of a travel agent.
Platforms such as Tripadvisor, Roam Around and Vacay have tools that use Generative AI technology to create custom travel itineraries making the intricate and multifaceted process of planning of a trip efficiently while simultaneously concentrating on personal preferences.
TIP: Recommend AI generated options to guests for planning and booking their travel itinerary.
Conversational Commerce
Conversational commerce is the future of customer engagement where businesses use chatbots and messaging platforms to communicate with their customers in real-time, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.
TIP: Make your brand more relevant by using popular conversational channels ecommerce websites such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp to stay in touch with customers and share promotions.
Travel & Tourism Influencers
Travel and tourism influencers are content creators who share their travel experiences, insights, recommendations, and adventures online. Because there are so many Instagram-worthy moments, influencers are constantly live-documenting their trip giving an abundance of brand exposure to the brand before, during, and after their stay.
Influencers have gained the trust of their followers as they specialize in creating and curating content related to travel destinations, cultural experiences, local cuisine, accommodations, activities, and more. Marketing through tried and tested channels, but also through the increasing influence of social media could pay dividends.
Your social media content strategy should include responding to or reposting people who share your content. Encourage your audience to engage
TIP: To reach a broader audience engage with influencers across various platforms such as Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter. Have clear objectives to measure the success of your campaigns, put in place a way to track your progress, such as analytics software.