American Express Travel has released its “American Express Travel: 2022 Global Travel Trends Report” backed by global survey data, Amex Travel proprietary booking data, and insights from travel experts.
The study reveals that spending on travel is outpacing pre-pandemic levels with 86 percent respondents expecting to spend more or the same on travel in 2022 compared to a typical year prior to the pandemic. It also found that tourists want to travel more frequently, with 62 percent of respondents planning on taking two to four trips in 2022 and 76 percent of respondents agreeing they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021. As travel continues to recover, the report looks at the motivations and considerations of travelers in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, the U.K. and the U.S. as well as emerging trends shaping travel.
Top themes discovered in the report include the rise of impact travel. As many as 78 percent of respondents agree that they want to have a positive impact on the community they are visiting; 81 percent of respondents agree that they want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves into the local culture; 81 percent of respondents agree that they want the money they spend while traveling to go back to the local community; 81 percent of respondents agree that they want to have authentic experiences when traveling where they can meet and learn from locals; 80 percent of respondents agree that in 2022, they want to be more thoughtful about the types of trips that they take and who they take them with.
The report also found that dream destinations are becoming a reality: 49 percent of Millennials want to travel solo now to visit their dream destination; 55 percent of respondents agree they want to book a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022, especially Millennials (67 percent) and GenZers (65 percent); 72 percent of respondents agree that the pandemic has made them appreciate lesser-known domestic travel destinations more than they used to; 74 percent of respondents agree they are willing to book a trip for 2022 even if they might need to cancel or modify it later; 84 percent of respondents agree they like to visit destinations that have access to more than one scene (for instance, beach, city, mountain, desert, etc.); and 65 percent of respondents would rather take their dream vacation than purchase a new car.
The study also highlights the changing landscape of family travel: 76 percent of parents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021; 70 percent of parents agree that in 2022, they are planning to take their first international trip with their children since prior to the pandemic; 79 percent of respondents agree that they are most looking forward to traveling with their family in 2022; and 58 percent of respondents agree that they are more interested in multigenerational family trips than ever before.
The “American Express Travel: 2022 Global Travel Trends Report” reveals what’s next in store for experiential travel. As many as 70 percent of respondents agree that they are interested in cultural immersion and taking a tour on an upcoming trip; 56 percent of respondents stated they held off on traveling for major entertainment events the previous year (for instance, concerts, sporting, cultural events), but have plans to return to such events this year; 52 percent of respondents state they are interested in traveling for personal gatherings such as weddings, birthdays, graduations or holidays; 38 percent of respondents are interested in traveling for cultural events; and 43 percent of respondents are interested in traveling for entertainment events
The Amex Trendex online poll was conducted by Morning Consult between February 3-11, 2022, among a national sample of 2,000 U.S. travelers and 1,000 travelers in Japan, Australia, Mexico, India, the U.K. and Canada with a household income of at least $70,000, and defined as adults who typically travel by air at least once a year. Results from each market’s survey have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
For more information, visit https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/get-inspired/global-travel-trends.
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