When you look at the future of travel, sure, things are looking up—but what will the travel itself look like? According to the “Amadeus 2023 Travel Trends” report, released this week, the metaverse and biometrics will play a big role.
The travel technology company identified five developments that it believes will play a part in shaping travel over the coming years. Among them: Exploring the metaverse will allow travelers to discover a destination before they arrive or relive their memories once they leave, while biometrics will help create a smooth travel payment experience in airport and aircraft.
In addition, Amadeus expects the days of “multiple trolley-loads of designer luggage” to soon be behind us, as travelers are becoming more conscious of their carbon footprint and cost of checked-in luggage continues to increase. Hotels and resorts are increasingly offering the hire of bulky items, such sports equipment and workout clothes, allowing travelers to pack only the essentials.
As for “things looking up,” Expedia Group this week shared its “Traveler Insights Report” for Q4 2022. The highlight: Almost half of consumers globally say travel is more important to them now compared to pre-pandemic, and nearly as many are backing up that claim by upping their travel budget next year. Further insights include the fact that travelers are open to planning further out, city breaks are growing in popularity (again), sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion play a role in how people book travel and decide on destinations, and that cancelation policies are top of mind when booking accommodations and transportation.
All Eyes on Europe
Continuing the proof that travel is rebounding, more than 2,000 destinations and travel companies from around the world met this week in London for the 43rd World Travel Market (WTM). According to one panel, featuring World Travel & Tourism Council President and CEO Julia Simpson, pent-up demand is outstripping supply. The group also highlighted the importance of sustainability with Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future, predicting that electric planes will be with us sooner than we think.
Being one of the destinations that opened earliest to Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe has been a popular choice of late for vacations. Recently, however, due to global inflation rates, the dollar is performing better compared to the euro and pound in quite some time—meaning a strong exchange rate for Americans. The strong dollar, Allianz Partners found, has spurred a demand for overseas holiday travel. The top three destinations are London, Paris and Madrid. Four cities in the Top 20 most-booked are seeing triple-digit increases in travelers expected for the season when compared to 2019.
The European Travel Commission, in its “European Tourism Trends & Prospects” quarterly report echoed similar sentiments. It found that Europe’s travel bounce-back will continue in the remaining months of 2022, led by cost-conscious and value-driven travel. It also noted that the strengthened dollar has already proven a lifeline to many European destinations. As a whole, Europe is expected to recover 75 percent of inbound travel volume this year compared to 2019—a “successful” year given “looming recession,” higher inflation, the war in Ukraine and travel restrictions for Russian tourists.
Advisor Support
In other good news, many companies are leaning in and supporting the travel agency community.
WeTravel, a booking and payments platform, has launched a new travel business loan program. WeTravel Growth Capital offers a range of financing options from receivables advances to lines of credit, available to any North American travel business that meets the minimum application requirements. With the funding access, travel businesses can pursue new opportunities, expand market reach, invest in critical business infrastructure or grow their operations.
Elsewhere, Norwegian Cruise Line has committed a $250,000 investment to the American Society of Travel Advisor’s training and education programs for new-to-the-industry travel advisors. The investment will further enhance the society’s web presence and functionality—making it easier for new talent to access the education and training resources currently offered.
On a similar front, onefinestay has launched its partner portal, a new webpage for all training and B2B marketing materials that will support travel partners in learning all about the brand and promoting it to their clients. The platform offers “all the training materials,” such as travel partner benefits, how-to-book details, home tours, webinars and FAQs.
Lastly, Global Travel Collection will offer two full-day "Professional Development" sessions for its travel professionals: One on Tuesday, November 15 in Beverly Hills, and the other on Wednesday, November 30 in New York City. The workshops will help advisors analyze their business in terms of productivity and profitability and to offer strategies to assist in sales expansion and areas of growth.
Related Stories
Queen Anne, Cunard's Newest Ship, Is Delayed
South African Tourism Names Head of Trade Relations North America