Mumbai: Insurance, seat selection, food, luggage and lounge are the top flight attendant requests made by passengers, with 20% passengers ready to upgrade to business or first class, but the biggest deciding factor in travel planning is airfare. (30% and the cost of hotels (21%), according to a report exploring the latest trends in global travel released by an online travel portal on Thursday.
“Travellers surveyed highly engaged on mobile devices in the travel planning and booking process, researching destinations (48%), comparing flight and hotel options (47%), booking (40%), a fifth (22%) used AI Used chatbots,” said the report released by Skyscanner. The report is a combination of consumer surveys and proprietary search and booking data that was analyzed to see how travelers are thinking about their plans for the next 12 months, the company said, adding that the survey included 18,000 people across 15 markets. Data has been collected from consumers. The report forecasts a positive outlook for 2024 in terms of travel demand, with 42% of travelers planning to travel more and 39% planning to spend more. Globally, the expected number of visits will increase from 2.3 to 2.7, it said, with travelers from India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United States most likely to visit by 2024.
The report says that when it comes to planning travel destinations, cultural experiences are at the top of the agenda for 2024. It says destination choice will be influenced not only by weather (60%), food (58%) and culture (54%), but also by the overall ‘vibe’ (41%). “Destination activities also play a role, particularly local cuisine (46%), sightseeing (42%) and beaches (40%),” the report said. Globally, YouTube is the top source of travel inspiration, followed by word-of-mouth recommendations (35%) and Instagram (33%), although there are large differences by market. This also includes guidebooks (27%) and TikTok (21%).
Travelers to Europe, the Middle East and Africa are already booking flights, with the majority booking up to 90 days in advance for short-haul and long-haul trips. They’re looking for little hidden gems away from the big cities. The report said top destinations include Rayong (Thailand), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Pristina (Kosovo), and Klagenfurt (Austria). Asia Pacific travelers show greater volatility in short-haul booking windows compared to other regions. For long-haul flights, last-minute bookings have increased, it said, with Japanese destinations topping the top 10 list for APAC travelers with six cities. This is evident from the comeback made by Japan recently after lifting its Covid restrictions.
Mike Ferguson, Director of Destination Marketing at Scanners, commented: “The year 2023 is set to be a significant year for travel. Across all regions we see travelers remaining highly engaged in the booking and planning process, searching for destination inspiration from a variety of sources and planning long-haul trips well in advance. The choice of destination is being influenced not only by cultural factors but also by the particular ‘vibe’ that matches individual preferences and motivations.
Hugh Aitken, vice president of strategic relationships and development at Skyscanner, said: “Airlines continue to reposition and reorient their global networks to meet passenger demand. Countries like India and Turkey have outlined ambitious plans and they will be important drivers of both domestic and international air connectivity in 2024 and beyond. Additionally, travelers in many markets are indicating a desire to upgrade their fares and create custom itineraries that offer them the best value.
Nick Hall, CEO of the digital tourism think tank, commented: “High travel propensity means destinations must focus on values and experiences. This report is a clear demonstration that travel is well and truly back, with its trend set to remain high now and into the future, even amid an environment of global economic uncertainty. With travel spend becoming a key priority for consumers globally, destinations, along with their industry partners, must focus on the value proposition more than ever. Honoring what sits at the core of a destination’s brand values is key to winning over travelers. Nevertheless, driving demand with timely product offers is the key to shaping decisions.
Marco NavariaCAPA’s global content and marketing director said: “As highlighted in the 2023/24 SkyScanner Horizons report, travelers are increasingly opting for connections to smaller niche markets rather than major tourist destinations as in previous years. The recovery from the pandemic has allowed airlines to rebuild and expand their networks to explore new and different destinations. The willingness to venture into new routes and create new markets helped rebuild global capacity to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. There are growing expectations that airlines will surpass this in 2024, connecting the world better than ever before.
“Travellers surveyed highly engaged on mobile devices in the travel planning and booking process, researching destinations (48%), comparing flight and hotel options (47%), booking (40%), a fifth (22%) used AI Used chatbots,” said the report released by Skyscanner. The report is a combination of consumer surveys and proprietary search and booking data that was analyzed to see how travelers are thinking about their plans for the next 12 months, the company said, adding that the survey included 18,000 people across 15 markets. Data has been collected from consumers. The report forecasts a positive outlook for 2024 in terms of travel demand, with 42% of travelers planning to travel more and 39% planning to spend more. Globally, the expected number of visits will increase from 2.3 to 2.7, it said, with travelers from India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United States most likely to visit by 2024.
The report says that when it comes to planning travel destinations, cultural experiences are at the top of the agenda for 2024. It says destination choice will be influenced not only by weather (60%), food (58%) and culture (54%), but also by the overall ‘vibe’ (41%). “Destination activities also play a role, particularly local cuisine (46%), sightseeing (42%) and beaches (40%),” the report said. Globally, YouTube is the top source of travel inspiration, followed by word-of-mouth recommendations (35%) and Instagram (33%), although there are large differences by market. This also includes guidebooks (27%) and TikTok (21%).
Travelers to Europe, the Middle East and Africa are already booking flights, with the majority booking up to 90 days in advance for short-haul and long-haul trips. They’re looking for little hidden gems away from the big cities. The report said top destinations include Rayong (Thailand), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Pristina (Kosovo), and Klagenfurt (Austria). Asia Pacific travelers show greater volatility in short-haul booking windows compared to other regions. For long-haul flights, last-minute bookings have increased, it said, with Japanese destinations topping the top 10 list for APAC travelers with six cities. This is evident from the comeback made by Japan recently after lifting its Covid restrictions.
Mike Ferguson, Director of Destination Marketing at Scanners, commented: “The year 2023 is set to be a significant year for travel. Across all regions we see travelers remaining highly engaged in the booking and planning process, searching for destination inspiration from a variety of sources and planning long-haul trips well in advance. The choice of destination is being influenced not only by cultural factors but also by the particular ‘vibe’ that matches individual preferences and motivations.
Hugh Aitken, vice president of strategic relationships and development at Skyscanner, said: “Airlines continue to reposition and reorient their global networks to meet passenger demand. Countries like India and Turkey have outlined ambitious plans and they will be important drivers of both domestic and international air connectivity in 2024 and beyond. Additionally, travelers in many markets are indicating a desire to upgrade their fares and create custom itineraries that offer them the best value.
Nick Hall, CEO of the digital tourism think tank, commented: “High travel propensity means destinations must focus on values and experiences. This report is a clear demonstration that travel is well and truly back, with its trend set to remain high now and into the future, even amid an environment of global economic uncertainty. With travel spend becoming a key priority for consumers globally, destinations, along with their industry partners, must focus on the value proposition more than ever. Honoring what sits at the core of a destination’s brand values is key to winning over travelers. Nevertheless, driving demand with timely product offers is the key to shaping decisions.
Marco NavariaCAPA’s global content and marketing director said: “As highlighted in the 2023/24 SkyScanner Horizons report, travelers are increasingly opting for connections to smaller niche markets rather than major tourist destinations as in previous years. The recovery from the pandemic has allowed airlines to rebuild and expand their networks to explore new and different destinations. The willingness to venture into new routes and create new markets helped rebuild global capacity to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. There are growing expectations that airlines will surpass this in 2024, connecting the world better than ever before.
(Tags to translate)Mike Ferguson(T)Middle East(T)Marco Navaria(T)Africa