Watch Out for Those Travel Trends 2022
We hope you had a good start into the year 2022 and are still somewhat excited about what this year has in store for you. Are you already planning your next trip, or are you still waiting to see how the global situation with COVID-19 turns out?
We were curious to see how travel trends are expected to develop this year and did a little research. Read on to learn more!
Travel Predictions 2022 Survey
Booking.com, one of the biggest online travel agencies for lodging reservations and other travel products, conducted a huge survey. A total of 24,000 travelers across 31 countries, who are planning to travel for business or leisure within the next 12-24 months, were surveyed in order to predict how the future of traveling is most likely going to look.
What has definitely shifted most among the travelers compared to the last two years is their mindset. After a relatively long period with a lack of socializing and many postponed trips, travelers are currently adopting a more positive way of thinking for 2022, and 63% of the respondents stated that they feel the need to make up for lost vacation time. As a consequence, 72% said they would say “yes” to any vacation so long as their budget allowed.
To sum it up, if 2021 was mostly about domestic travel, 2022 may be the year for many to finally go on their “bucket list” trip.
The Year of the ‘GOAT’
Expedia, another popular online travel agency for vacation rentals, flights, and much more comes to the same conclusion. They also conducted a global survey among 12,000 travelers from 12 countries and found out that 65% of the respondents are indeed planning to “go big” on their next trip. Expedia goes so far as calling 2022 the year of the GOAT, the “greatest of all trips”.
They also refer to the increased Wanderlust and to the all-or-nothing mentality many travelers are currently adopting. Travelers might be afraid of what would happen if another pandemic hit or if they are locked in again due to another lockdown, so the desire to finally go on the big trip they always wanted to take is the result of this psychological effect.
Travelers are not only willing to travel to the fancy destinations of their choice, but they are also more willing than ever before to splurge on their future travels and spend more money on the spot. As a result, 2022 not only stands for the GOAT, but also for some decent splurge-cations.
For many, 2022 is the year of the GOAT (“Greatest of all Trips”).
Meeting New People
After all this social distancing, a lot of people might feel the need to socialize and mingle, also on vacation. 2022 will not only see people reconnecting with friends and family, but also seeking new connections while traveling, with 60% of responders wanting to meet new people while away according to the Booking.com survey. The desire to meet new people while traveling also goes hand in hand with the fact that solo travel is on the rise, which makes it even easier to make new acquaintances.
Work-free Vacations and Mental Wellbeing
While the increased possibilities for remote work during the pandemic definitely have their advantages, and a lot of people enjoy that they are able to work from wherever they want, for some it put a toll on a healthy work-life balance as the boundaries between work and leisure time became more fluid. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that 73% of travelers said that their vacation time will be strictly work-free in 2022. 79% of the respondents moreover agreed that traveling helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than any other form of self-care, with people not only valuing the opportunity to switch off more than ever before, but also using their time spent traveling to fully immerse themselves in new places and cultures.
Eco-travel and Local Experiences
As ethical and sustainable topics are more current than ever, especially among the younger generations, they also affect travel behavior. Eco-travel is just one example of these tourism trends, reflecting a growing concern among today’s travelers for ethical and sustainable tourism options. Eco-travel includes simple changes, such as the availability of carbon credits when booking a flight or the option to rent an electric instead of a conventional vehicle. The same goes with the sense of travelers that their trip should be beneficial to the local community at their destination. Participating and engaging in local culture, supporting local businesses, enjoying local cuisine, or celebrating regional festivals and holidays is on the rise.
Experiencing local culture and getting to know about regional traditions also plays a big part.
Safety While Traveling
After unpredictable travel during the last two years, 2022 will see travelers embracing the unexpected with many relying on technology to do so. According to Booking.com, more than 60% of travelers believe that technology is important in controlling health risks when traveling and technology helps to alleviate their travel anxiety.
As the need to feel safe while traveling is important, COVID-safety measures and hygiene standards should be absolutely paramount. For instance, increased cleaning in common areas, socially-distanced seating, providing hand sanitizer, enforcing masks in some settings, or offering contactless payments might be imperative.
COVID safety measures such as keeping distance from other tourists, providing hand sanitizer, and much more are still essential.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest traveling trends. We are curious if you are also getting itchy feet and are already planning your big bucket-list GOAT? If you don’t want to travel that far, check out our recommendations for the five most beautiful towns in Austria.
If you want to learn more about everything culture, travel, and tech-related, such as virtual reality tourism trends, and much more, stay tuned for our upcoming industry reports. Among others, we will do a comprehensive deep dive into those topics and talk about the status quo, so don’t miss out!
Featured image: jet.set.jeni
