One of the biggest challenges of the travel trends industry is to offer products that are tailored to the needs of customers. The world is changing more and more, with technology becoming an integral part of every experience.
As the world changes, so do the preferences of tourists. And their desires have never been more unconventional, but at the same time, never have they been more rational and predictable.
At the doorstep of the new decade, we can clearly see what travel trends are emerging, and what this will mean for the entire tourism sector. In the following paragraphs, take a look at the seven travel trends that are reshaping the way we travel. Check out the things to do in Motueka.
7 Travel Trends That Will Reshape the Next Decade
1. Combining Traveling with Treatment
Thanks to the potential of the Internet for travelers around the world, they are more confident when they are looking for advanced or cheaper healthcare abroad. Over time, travelers have become increasingly better informed, “empowered”, and qualified to organize their travel independently.
Although there are still customers who rely on travel agencies to organize their entire vacation, customers now generally prefer to contact the agencies once they have decided to book one or more health treatments.
On many occasions in the past, agencies have been forced to compete on the market with respect to price. However, this type of consumer is not really trying to analyze tourist products in terms of their cost.
Instead, this traveler will examine the tourist options that best suit his needs. This is a question of the quality of the health system or the total cost of the entire treatment.
And it is precisely consumer demand that illustrates the trend of recent years. After decades of tourism focused on the summer season and on the beach promenade, travelers are now looking for true authenticity and purpose in their journey.
They are looking for different destinations, such as areas far from the major tourist centers, and for products that will allow them to have unique experiences linked to the authenticity of these different places. But also, to remember this holiday for the treatment they have always dreamed of.
A good example would be the charming village of Beaconsfield, where many people come for beauty, toxicological, or dental treatments in one of the renowned clinics in the village. You can check out the clinic’s website and see for yourself why a trip to London is so much better when it includes treatment for the smile you’ve always wanted…
Basically, both the destination and the health treatments that the traveler can undergo there are the two decisive factors for this travel trend.
2. A Sustainable Holiday in Lesser-Known Places
In a world where awareness of sustainability issues is growing, travelers are increasingly involved in finding options that reduce their negative impact on the environment. Europe’s prominent tourist centers, despite using their resources to keep their cities and environment clean, are now feeling the effects of tourism diversification.
While mass tourism is still in force and has a wide audience, travel agencies that want to reach a more discerning traveler should consider the impact of their prospects on the destination.
For this reason, the most demanding tourist consumer is trying to get away from the major tourist centres and opt for less crowded destinations. Or, they may decide to stay in the tourist capitals, but with the possibility of visiting local points where there is no tourist saturation.
Bucharest Bachelors is an excellent example of a company in a city that is big enough and offers all the usual activities for a stag party, but far enough away from the huge tourist hordes of famous European cities.
Many people now choose to spend their party weekend in a city that has very little pollution, where there is organic food on every corner and where there are no annoying tourists who destroy the whole holiday with their noise.
Modern travelers feel more responsible for their impact on the environment. They will be interested in looking for tourism products that incorporate such outstanding values as sustainability, respect for the environment, safety, and even equality.
The discerning traveler wants to be able to respect the environment of his destination and the local population and enjoy his trip without having to worry about circumstances or threats that endanger his own well-being or the well-being of others.
Perhaps this is the reason why tourism that focuses on rural experiences and experiences related to nature is booming. Not only do tourists get to know natural environments that have not suffered from the effects of the cities, but they also perceive this as a way to get away from their daily routine and enjoy a few days without stress.
3. In Search of a Transformation
Another trend that can be observed among travelers is their search for experiences that change them. This helps them in their personal growth. Although one of the highlights is the need to get away from the daily routine, today the traveler considers his holidays as a kind of life experience that helps him to reflect, learn, and grow as an individual.
For this reason, there are travellers who opt for tourism products that include activities that allow them to get away from their daily routine or relax. For example, practising yoga or meditation. They are in fact widespread practices that are spread all over the world.
But when they use these activities in a different environment, travelers see them as methods that help them to connect with the identity of the destination they are visiting while taking care of themselves. Other travelers opt for educational courses at the destination, or even for voluntary activities.
For example, travelers who need new experiences choose destinations that have been little explored by international tourism. Only a few corners of our planet remain undiscovered, but some travelers want to experience their transformation as “adventurers” who conduct activities in remote places.
On the other hand, some travelers repeat visits to well-known destinations. The transformation is lived looking for experiences that have not yet been had in this place. This is usually more common on short trips, such as weekends away or city breaks.
4. Alone or with Company?
People who travel as a couple or in a group primarily seek to strengthen their bonds. For example, couples are more likely to look for tourist attractions where they can be more active. The feeling of adventure, fun and adrenaline gives them not only personal entertainment, but also shared experiences that help strengthen their relationship.
On the other hand, thanks to the “empowerment” of the traveler to make his own decisions, more and more tourism consumers are choosing to travel alone. This allows greater freedom in choosing the destination, accommodation, dates, and, above all, the freedom to choose even the narrowest range of self tourism.
5. ‘Millenials’ and ‘Baby Boomers’
Today, the most popular public group of tourism workers worldwide is the so-called “Millennials”, named after the fact that they were born around 1981–1995 when technology began to become an essential part of their lives. Precisely because they are the first generation to experience the technological boom, they are the ones who know best how to use the Internet to plan their trips.
Worldwide, about a quarter of international journeys are made by people between the ages of 15 and 29. And this percentage continues to rise. Many expect that in the next five years, 50% of international travelers will be Millennials.
This is not only due to traveling for pleasure, but also to the fact that many Millennials are entering the business travel sector.
In the case of the “Baby Boomer” generation (born between 1946 and 1965), they belong to an older age group, which means that not many have the same information-seeking skills as Millennial travelers. This group of consumers tends to continue to rely on travel agencies to organize their entire holidays.
However, they share specific interests with the Millennials. For example, enjoying personal growth, balance, and freedom. That’s why these clients are attracted by tourist perspectives that give them back that youthful, inspiring spirit.
6. The Relationship with Technology | FOMOs and JOMOs
So far, you can imagine that the latest technologies have had a significant impact on the tourism sector. Especially in the pre-purchase phase. However, once it is time to take the luggage and leave the house, there are two types of attitudes that stand out in the tourism sector.
The tendency is to go on vacation but still be connected to the world via smartphone.
The phenomenon of being afraid of missing what happens on social networks has now been given a name: “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO). For this reason, many companies are using this trend to stay in touch with their customers via their social networks.
On the other side of the coin are those who are just using their holidays to switch off from the stress of the virtual world. These customers, experiencing something known as the “Joy of Missing Out” (JOMO), are parting company with their smartphones to enjoy their leisure time and, above all, their privacy. And because of the technological world we live in, more and more travelers are choosing JOMO proposals.
That’s why companies are also committed to providing experiences that are specifically designed for this digital separation. And these proposals mainly involve providing more meaningful human contact with the tourism product.
7. Interest in Local Culture and Customs
It is precisely because of the interest of travellers to get more in touch with the destinations they visit that they prefer to carry out other different activities.
Instead of looking for experiences that focus on the broad mass of tourists, the most demanding travelers prefer to experience authentic and local adventures.
From cultural visits to learning about the history and customs of the place, and from gastronomic itineraries to tasting local products – these are the true travel trends that are already taking the travel industry by storm.
