What Does the Future of Travel Look Like?
What Does the Future of Travel Look Like?
Soon we will be back in full force with domestic travel and international travel. The pandemic has caused some radical changes to the way we travel, and as a result, event planning will be more challenging than ever before. If you are unsure about what changes are coming about in the future, we have gathered some information about what travel could look like for all of us.
What The Future of Travel Will Look Like
Virtual Experiences
Virtual travel experiences have been trending in the past few years. During the pandemic, many tour companies offered these experiences due to worldwide lockdowns. Even though travel is slowly returning to the fold, this virtual travel phenomenon will continue. People that are unable or unwilling to travel can take full advantage of these virtual reality travel experiences.
Bucket List Trips
During most of 2020, we faced lockdowns, travel restrictions, and new mandates. Since everyone was grounded, travel was really missed. Many have taken the time to plan the ultimate bucket list type excursion for when travel resumes.
Travel Insurance Rates Will Rise
The coronavirus completely upended the travel industry. Not too long ago, travel insurance was considered an option only reserved for major trips or special circumstances. Unfortunately, with the unpredictable travel market that we are currently in, travel insurance has become a necessity. The pandemic has caused an unbelievable amount of travel cancellations. As a result, travel insurance rates will rise.
Multigenerational Travel Will Continue To Be a Trend
This growing trend will go to the next level in the future. Everyone was separated from loved ones during the pandemic. According to a report by Virtuoso, multigenerational travel was the most popular travel trend of 2020. Now that travel is reopening, loved ones are not just getting together, they are traveling together.
Third-Party Booking Will Decrease
For approximately 20 years, many travelers have been loyal to third-party booking sites, which are also known as online travel services (OTA). Consumers felt confident with all their travel itinerary booked in one place, especially if something went wrong during the trip. These sites are middlemen, which allow travelers to compare prices among airlines, hotels, and much more. As a result of the pandemic, these OTAs have had to modify their cancellation policies.
When these cancellations occurred, consumers spent a significant amount of time on phone calls and online with these OTAs, the airlines, and back again as the buck was passed between the two entities, leading to frustration. Now, consumers feel more confident booking directly through the airlines and tour agencies. This is due to most airlines eliminating their change fees indefinitely. Consumers now only have to reach out to one agency when problems occur.
Frequent Flyer Accounts Will Be Emptied
During the pandemic, many frequent flyers stocked up their miles in order to plan for that great trip once things turned around. As more countries open up, expect those frequent flyers award redemptions to increase.
Sanitation Will Be #1 Priority
During the coronavirus pandemic, the hospitality industry paid attention to the situation and acted accordingly. The travel industry has undergone incredible scrutiny during the pandemic. The providers are evolving into this “new normal.”
All elements of the hospitality industry have stepped up to keep travelers safe. Hotels have raised sanitation standards, implement social distancing measures, provide sanitizer in public areas, and the increased use of mobile keys. Airlines have also stepped up the sanitation process and mandated masks on flights.
Traveler’s Q can navigate you to the future of event travel. We offer a wide range of corporate travel services to assist you with all your group travel management needs. Contact us today.
