Trends in travel 2022

1. Big ticket adventures

Thanks to being grounded at home people are ready for a holiday, in a big way. In fact, Flight Centre has named 2022 the year of ‘revenge travel’: by going big on our adventures, we’re seeking vengeance on COVID-19!

So big ticket bookings are in, as people realise they can’t keep putting off the items on their bucket lists. Expedia calls 2022 the Year of the GOAT – or Greatest Of All Trips – with 65% of those surveyed saying they were planning to go big for their next trip.

2. Spending splurges

More good news: people are determined to make the most of their trips, so they intend to splash the cash they might have saved up during the lockdowns.

According to a World Travel and Tourism Council report, 70% of leisure travellers in countries including the UK were planning to spend more on travel than they have in the past five years.

Respondents to another survey planned to spend an average of £1,203 per person on a foreign holiday in 2022 – up from just £827 the previous year. We all need a little luxury!

3. The relaxation vacation

Over two years of COVID-19 have prompted many of us to reassess our priorities. Expedia reports that 42% of UK travellers want a relaxing holiday to help their mental wellbeing, while 81% of global respondents want at least one holiday with family or friends in the next six months.

Brian Young from G Adventures told The Times: “In a recent survey, we found that 94 per cent of travellers view travel as important to their mental and physical health, and 58 per cent cite that they need a holiday to help alleviate pandemic-related stress of burnout from work.”

4. Greener ways to travel

This reassessment of priorities has also pushed sustainability up the agenda. Globally, 83% of travellers plan to make sustainable travel a priority.

And ABTA reports that 54% of Brits believe the green credentials of their holiday supplier are important – up from just 20% a decade ago.

So in 2022, we can expect to see more schemes to reduce waste, energy consumption, and water usage and promote greener forms of transport.

5. The flexible approach

We’re all now much more alert to what can go wrong. So when it comes to booking, 83% say that flexible fare options are important.

Package holidays are popular as they give holidaymakers financial protection. But 29% of people are customising their holiday, up from 22% in 2020.

And with so many of us now working remotely, ‘flexible working trips’, e.g. a week of holiday plus three days of working, are on the up too. Many hotels are adapting their spaces to accommodate this new breed of ‘digital nomads’.

6. Travel agents and tech

So what makes all this travel as seamless as possible? Great industry professionals using advanced technology.

Travel agents are on the rise again! Due to the complexities of travelling in the Covid era, ABTA suggests that people are 30% more likely to book with a travel professional than before the pandemic.

And behind the scenes, airport efficiency and security are being boosted by automation and digital advances: e.g. digital health passports and biometric tech to speed up passenger processing.

Linney – your marketing partner

It’s an exciting time in the travel industry, with huge scope for companies to bounce back stronger in 2022.

So get ready for take-off by talking to us at Linney about our world-class marketing services. We’d love to hear from you today.