Whether it was a wake-up call to unwrinkle our bucket lists or a reminder that travel agents are around for a reason, the pandemic has changed the way we travel.
Hotels innovate
Major hotel chains have invested in technology, so the experience works smarter for the guest. Some have installed AI voice assistants, meaning you can have a virtual assistant who can help you do everything from turning off the lights to reserving a table at a local restaurant.
Hotels are also trading standing in line waiting to check-in for breezy contactless check-ins, allowing you to stroll directly to your room.
To support local businesses, many hotels are offering room service from nearby restaurants. For example, guests staying at the Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach can pick scrambled eggs from Bill’s, fish tacos from Fonda or gelato from Messina.
Expect your hotel rooms to get fancier, smarter and safer – because hotels pivoted through the pandemic and came out the other side stronger.
Ticking off the bucket list
If nothing else, COVID-19 was a reminder that if there’s things we want to do, we should probably do them now.
Expedia has been referring to 2022 as the year of the “GOAT” or “greatest of all trips”, with a survey of 12,000 travellers across 12 countries revealing that 65% plan to “go big” on their next trip.
A report from Amadeus, a US travel company, showed common bucket-list destinations such as Tanzania, Petra and Machu Picchu spiking in popularity.
This effect has also been seen through the cruise industry, with expedition destinations such as Alaska and Antarctica booming as customers crave thrills more than ever before.
After two years without travel, many people have the money and time to splurge on something truly special. And it seems that they won’t be putting off their travel dreams waiting for “the right time” any longer.
Travel agents are back
A 2019 report by Kayak showed that 47 per cent of people hadn’t visited a travel agent in the past 10 years, as it so easy to book a holiday online.
However, the last two years have served as a reminder that travel isn’t always so simple, and with international travel now stricken with confusing and changing rules for every country, customers once again want skilled help through the process.
Data from Finder shows that now 30 per cents of Aussies are booking travel through a third party and 21 per cent are more inclined to book through a travel agent due to the pandemic.
The conscious traveller
Booking.com revealed that 61 per cent of travellers said the pandemic made them want to travel more sustainability. The survey also revealed positive change on the other side of the coin, with three out of four accommodation providers saying that they had implemented new sustainability practices at their property.
Kind Traveller’s 2022 report showed that 96 per cent of people thought it was important that their travel dollars make positive impacts on the places they visit, and 48 per cent viewed making sustainable choices as their biggest travel challenge moving forward, affirming that the pandemic has shifted perspectives on the meaning of travelling responsibly.
Business travel has a new meaning
Video killed the radio star and Zoom might have killed the business traveller. The ease with which so many workplaces continued to thrive when offices shut down has made plenty of businesses realise that you don’t always need to fly city-to-city for a meeting.
Matthew Parsons, Business Travel Expert at Skift, says business travel will now likely be reserved only for the upper rungs of management.
“The bigger the company, the harder they are going to be on those one-day trips.
The travel management side of things is moving more toward the CFO than anyone else. The last two years, people have shown that they can work pretty well without travelling a lot.”
However, on the flip of things, a survey by travel company G Adventures showed that 20 per cent of people now say they can work from anywhere, with that number rising to 46 per cent from 18-34 year-olds. This means that while business travel might be out, “workations” are in, with people able to jet off at any time to do their work on a tropical beach instead of in a grey cubicle.
Companies such as G Adventures are even putting together tours specifically for remote workers, mixing exploration and sightseeing with good wi-fi and time off to get the work done.
