Flashback to March 2020; the coronavirus pandemic struck, leaving the world dumbfounded and helpless. Every industry suffered, but none more than the travel and hospitality sector. Even though the pandemic may have entered an endemic stage and “revenge tourism” is fast making up for the losses for travel companies, a lot has changed for this industry.
Here are some of the latest trends that are making their way into the world of travel. As a travel consultant, travel agency manager, or hospitality industry professional, you must stay updated with these trends; else, you will lose prospective customers.
- Making hygiene and safety a top priority: Who can forget the mad rush in supermarkets for sanitizers and household cleaners when the pandemic first struck? The craze may have gone down now, but hygiene remains a top priority for travelers worldwide. It’s one of the leading trends that influence travel decisions for customers. Your travel website must highlight safety and hygiene in its marketing content to make an impression on prospective clients.
- Focusing on leisure travel: With people forced to work from home during the pandemic, most business interactions were virtual, like the daily Zoom meetings. There were no more business conferences and corporate events. That’s changing now, but travel companies are proactively leaning towards leisure travel packages to compensate for a loss of interest among business customers. Leisure travel suffered a setback during Covid, but it’s back with a bang as “revenge tourism” takes over! Make changes to your travel marketing strategies to take advantage of this latest trend. Focus more on offering attractive travel packages to families and groups of friends rather than business travelers.
- Selling more local travel packages: With Covid placing travel restrictions and quarantine protocols, the demand is now more for local destinations than international ones. People want to travel freely without the anxiety of following international travel regulations. To get more local travelers on board, you need to start creating marketing messages that will appeal to a wide range of audiences and highlighting features that will appeal greatly to locals. Offering staycation packages is a good way of getting more customers.
- Adopting contactless payment methods: This trend has disrupted the world of finance, and its impact has been significant in the travel world. If you can provide contactless payment facilities to your customers, it shows them you care about their safety and convenience. Contactless payment systems are swift, secure, and hassle-free, leading to spontaneous purchases and quick sales.
- Using virtual reality technology: VR technologies have taken the world by storm and have tremendous potential to impact the travel industry. Now, travel enthusiasts can get a sneak peek into properties and destinations like never before. This new digital experience is something you can use to your advantage because it will help travelers make travel decisions faster. They no longer need in-person viewing; they can now see 3D tours of every destination and explore it to their heart’s content.
- Voice Control Technology: This trend is fast catching on because it’s allowing travel companies to offer touch-free facilities to customers who don’t want to expose themselves and their loved ones to the risks of infections. Guests can now use this to turn on the hotel room TV, adjust the temperature, or contact the front desk using a voice-controlled hub.
You must take cognizance of these travel industry trends to ensure you don’t lag behind competitors. Covid may be on its way out, but the technological disruptions it has left in its wake will continue to influence travel and tourism for years.
