Reimagining Travel: Rethinking How and Why We Travel

08/18/2022

The travel industry was, arguably, affected the most. With the rapid onset of the COVID19 pandemic, international borders quickly shut, and virtually all travel plans were quickly cancelled. Only essential travel was permitted for many months at a time.

But with the creation and distribution of the COVID19 vaccine, the industry started to pick up again. Those who missed international travel in 2020 were keen to get back to it in 2021. Stewart Jones, the Managing Director at Booking.com for the Asia and Oceania Region, walked us through their Back to Travel Report.

Image Source : https://globalnews.booking.com/bookingcom-shines-light-on-travelers-optimism-and-hope-on-the-horizon-for-getting-back-to-travel/

Optimism for Travel

People are ready and excited to travel. It’s a major part of people’s lives and many travelers are excited to get back to it when it is safe to do so. The Back to Travel Report indicated a high level of optimism for global travel:

  • 71% of accommodation partners are cautiously optimistic about the future of their business.
  • 62% of accommodation partners expect to see an increase in travel.
  • 66% of consumers are feeling more hopeful about traveling.

Much of this optimism comes from the global vaccination roll-out strategy and the efforts of the travel industry to provide safe accommodations for travelers.

Air travel bubbles (i.e., between Australia and New Zealand or Singapore and Hong Kong) and digital vaccination passports are other measures that many people feel make travel safer, fueling optimism about the industry overall.

Safety First

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that safety is top-of-mind for travelers, accommodation providers, and all partners in the travel industry. In fact, the words “clean” and “hygiene” have increased by 60% on Booking.com, demonstrating how important this is to both travelers and accommodation providers.

The Back to Travel Report also indicated that over 70% of travel partners have implemented increased cleaning measures for travelers. But besides cleaning and sanitization, there needs to be coordinated efforts between the private travel sector and governments to ensure restrictions and regulations are upheld.

Travelers see the need for coordinated efforts, too:

  • 77% believe there should be more consistent international standards.
  • Many people believe that other industries are prioritized by the government over the travel industry. For example, 98% of travelers believe that the travel industry should be supported by the government to get back on its feet.

It’s important to have clear, consistent communications so that travelers know what is required of them. Accommodation providers and other private sector travel partners need to understand the government regulations and then clearly communicate with their guests. This will help inspire confidence for travelers and clear up any potential for miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Creative Solutions

Even though travelers are optimistic about the future of travel, accommodation providers will have to produce creative solutions to win over their customers. Cleanliness, safety, and clear communication on restrictions are important, but it will take more than that to entice some people to travel again.

Many accommodation providers are preparing to welcome travelers back by upgrading their properties. According to the Back to Travel report, more than 90% have made improvements to their properties, one third have given their rooms an aesthetic refresh, and another third have updated their online presence and photographs.

Accommodation providers are also increasing their offerings to be more flexible, with 45% of providers introducing more flexible cancellation policies. Due to ongoing uncertainty and constantly changing rules and restrictions, this kind of flexibility will become massively important to travelers.

The Way Forward

Travel will look vastly different in the post-COVID19 world. We can expect some of the changes such as the emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene to last a long time. Other things may return to “normal,” or, more likely, a “new normal.” The way forward with travel will look different for all parties involved:

  • Travelers will need to keep safety as their top priority and make choices that keep them safe and secure.
  • Travel partners need to stay vigilant and build confidence with their guests; they need to be creative and smart about enticing travelers back.
  • The industry will need to continue to collaborate, share information and ideas, and remember that success for some is success for all—there’s no place for competition as the industry focuses on recovery.

The future of travel after COVID19 is looking promising. Travelers and accommodation providers alike are optimistic about the return to travel. But it won’t look the same as it used to. If we are willing to change the way we think about travel, though, it will come back as a positive and important aspect of our lives.

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