Despite the pandemic the love for travel is still going strong. According to ABTA 61% of consumers still want to travel aboard in 2022, which is up by 4% since 2020.
This is great news for the travel industry, especially when the Government are willing to support and reduce the restrictions and to make travel more simpler.
So let’s have a look at what’s going to be popular this year…
Firstly, people are now looking to adventure more. The activities and long haul breaks that were put on hold, a few will want to go back and start booking, especially those who are fully vaccinated and can travel with ease. Known as the “Catch-up Consumer” it’s definitely going to be a huge trend for 2022!
Secondly, for the last few years, I have been reporting this and it’s still an ongoing trend for 2022. Sustainability Travel. Eco Friendly trips, which involve supporting the environment. For example, cutting down on waste and water consumption, ensuring that local people benefit from tourisms and respecting their human rights and managing animal welfare.
Thirdly, Package is King! Or so they say…this is because consumers are now starting to understand, the importance of booking both together and even so, it might be slightly more on some occasions, at least you’re ABTA and ATOL protected to ensure a refund back for any mishaps.
Fourthly, trust in booking with a TRAVEL AGENT is growing immensely. This is due to the previous problems back in 2020, where travellers were chasing website bookings and finding it difficult to talk to a human and process their refunds. Travel Agents take that stress away and providing that they offer this service for FREE, why wouldn’t you want to try one out for this year!
Fifthly, people will be looking to travel more to reconnect. Easyjet holidays have reported a 25% increase in booking large parties. This is to make up for lost time during lockdown and not being to connect with extended families and friends. The trend to also visit families who live a aboard will start to increase, as it’s now becoming safer to visit families. However, some families may still decide to play it safe and so the a staycation or a mini break in the UK might still be on their minds!
And finally the “Seacation” is another trend to watch out for. Booking that cruise that you’ve always looked into is a great way to see many destinations in one go. Whereas, the younger generation with families might stick to boarding one of world’s largest ship that’s just been launched by the Royal Caribbean, the older generation may opt for an alternative approach and look into River Cruising. Either way cruise ship bookings are definitely on the rise this year.
From what we can see is that winter sun and winter sports breaks are both selling well, as holidaymakers jump at their chance to enjoy a well-deserved break. We are also taking bookings for 2022 and into 2023, as stability returns to the sector.
However, we’re not out of the woods yet, and we still need the Government to continue working towards making travelling abroad simpler. But, after a turbulent couple of years, and assuming there are no unexpected developments to come with Coronavirus, the signs are that an increasing number of people will be taking a long overdue overseas holiday this year.
You can find further information on the data mentioned above from:
ABTA’s Holiday Habits research 2021 and 2020
ABTA’s Holiday Habits research 2021, 2020 and 2019
ABTA consumer sentiment research, October 2021