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Generally, a trend can be defined as a particular modification in a situation or behavior or a direction in which things befall. Within the tour and travel industry, there are a considerable number of developments that have led to changes in consumer behavior and business processes. Eventually, these developments are responsible for new emerging trends in the travel industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic placed a special focus on safety, hygiene, and local rather than international services, while also intensifying the adoption of contactless payments and remote working. Also, present environmental concerns have promoted the local-first approach among most travelers and have given a breakthrough to travel industry trends for hoteliers associated with organic food and eco-travel.
Once again travel is beginning to pick up in many parts of the world, it is crucial to follow the current travel industry trends in response to growing consumer actions as a result of the pandemic.
Here are some of the travel industry trends due to shifts in consumer behavior that hoteliers should be aware of for the year 2024 to sustain themselves in the industry.
1: The Marketplace Of Travel Leads
2: Rise In Road Trips
3: Workation Trips
4: Pet-Friendly Travel
5: Growth Of Contactless Payments And Other Technology
6: Cleanliness And Safety
7: Sustainable Tourism
8: Backpackers And Solo Travel
Every travel agent or travel agency is always in need to buy travel leads to increase their business, irrespective of how big or small they are. They do whats best for them to market their tour packages along with services to bring about new inquiries. Eventually, each one of them has to move their circle out of friends, family & any other social circle to build new customers for their travel business to achieve more substantial numbers.
With many travel restrictions and bans amid covid, travelers are preferring to go for short road trips. Most tourists have started ditching public transport such as buses, trains, and even airlines. Rather, they plan to go on road trips in their vehicles or rent a cab, as it is a safer option. Road trips are highly popular among tourists of all age groups, families, and friends. In addition to that, it drastically reduces travel expenses and vast options of domestic destinations to choose from.
Travel by car has increased approximately to 40% while air travel has dropped to its lowest point since Sep 2020 to 46% due to the interest in domestic travel and neighboring nations. More and more travelers are planning and executing road trips for a weekend getaway through nature, searching for good hotels and remote work as a great justification to explore the nearby cities like a local.
Work plus vacation or business plus travel is not a new concept that has arrived after the pandemic. Its just that more than one-third of business travelers and remote employees are planning to make use of this flexibility because many companies are opting for the culture to work from anywhere. This is why they have come up with interesting travel plans that will not only help employees in working but fulfill their leisure as well. The concept of flexible travel is getting popular as people have started to understand that all they need is a good internet connection and power to work.
With this latest travel trend, hoteliers should offer long-stay packages with special discounts that highlight fundamental things that remote workers are looking for such as excellent WiFi speed, laundry services, basic room facilities, and mouth-watering food. If hoteliers are looking to tap into the market of remote workers, creating enticing day packages is a good idea so that people can make the most of hotel facilities, without needing to book a room at night.
These days, most pets want to take their four-legged members with them whenever they travel. During this pandemic, throughout stay-at-home guidelines dogs have gotten used to having their parents at home day in and day out. The majority of Next-Gen pet owners are likely to travel only if their pets are welcome. Travel agencies should help these pet lovers make memories with their pets by recommending pet-friendly destinations and sharing pet travel tips.
Many hoteliers have observed that the pet-friendly filter is now the third most used on the Hotel booking portal. Because of this, most hotels are starting to offer pet-friendly packages and options for travelers who are pet lovers. These hotels often have some specific category of rooms for guests with pets in a separate area. Pet-friendly packages usually offer a room rate generally higher than normal in respect of services like extra cleaning, special treats, merchandise, and experiences for pets. The hospitality industry is working very hard to welcome even their furry guests with the cleanest and safest offerings.
Contactless payments have been a predominant element when it comes to technology in the tour and travel industry for some time now. The introduction of e-payment options such as Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and UPI has helped to take this element to the next level which allows customers to not even be required to carry around a debit or credit card to pay for hotel stays, meals, transport, and any other services. In the situation of Covid-19, contactless payments are in extremely greater demand than ever, as not only customers but staff members also prefer to avoid handling cash.
Investment in technology by hoteliers has allowed contactless payments to improve the speed of the procedure of check-ins and check-outs.
Safety and cleanliness have become a priority for travelers across the globe since the outbreak of Covid. The travel industry is already implementing major guidelines and protocols including PCR tests on arrival, enforcing masks, proper sanitation, social distancing and increased cleaning in places like hotels, airports, restaurants, etc. to offer a safer environment. Safety and hygiene standards have become paramount for these sectors.
Now, this has become a major crucial part of tourism marketing, with companies mandatorily required to make a clear approach about their hygiene and safety policies and what measures they are taking to keep their valuable customers safe. The threat of COVID has led people to be more reluctant to travel and visit tourism hot spots, so they will need to be persuaded that it is safe.
The effect of covid-19 has made people realize the significance of implementing sustainable ways of traveling. The tourist now looking out for ecotourism to get in touch with nature. Travelers focus on responsible travel to remote locations or natural areas to experience the local culture without feeling guilty about their negative impact on the environment. They are willing to contribute towards the sustainable growth of the environment. Nowadays, tourists have become more conscious and are accepting more eco-friendly methods to reduce their carbon footprint.
Even hotels are adapting their best practices to become more sustainable and information about the efforts on hotel travel sustainability is also available on google. Hoteliers who are already taking part in sustainable practices should make sure that this is highlighted on their companys website. Some of the popular things that hotels can do to make a positive change in a sustainable environment are implementing better waste management practices, partnering with local sustainable organizations, and offsetting emissions.
One of the biggest changes that the pandemic brought into peoples lives was a significant increase in the amount of time spent and enjoyed with oneself. Self-discovery and personal growth gained much eminence these days due to which travelers are seeking ways to spend quality time with themselves. Moreover, solo traveling is one of the more practical ways to travel as it not only reduces the chance to get infected but also gives you complete liberty to plan your itinerary as per requirement.
There are many hotels, especially for backpackers that offer exciting experiences at budget-friendly prices so that more and more solo travelers can come and connect with other new people.
Conclusion
The travel and hospitality industry is slowly and gradually seeing a surge in travelers after the upliftment of some travel bans. Currently, domestic tourism is growing at a rapid pace as people who want to explore their own country are planning short weekend trips to get some change from their boring routine. The tourism and hospitality industry is changing its ways as per the trends and suitability of travelers.
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