As the pandemic subsides, new trends have been revealed. There has been much speculation about how travel would emerge but now there is data from travel technology company Amadeus to confirm the suspicions.
“As the travel sector recovers, we are seeing some truly exciting trends emerge that will shape the industry," said Dan Batchelor, vice president, global corporate communications and social responsibility for Amadeus. "Imagine a world where you finish watching an amazing Netflix series and your smart speaker immediately recommends a trip to visit those locations in real life. That technology is available now. Not only are the new industry technologies exciting, but they also give us the power to travel in a sustainable way, revolutionize the way we travel for business, and travel long distances in lightning-quick time. Supersonic flights are going to happen, almost two decades after Concorde dropped its nose for the final time. It is an incredibly exciting time for the industry.”
The Amadeus 2022 Travel Trends survey identified six new developments that are shaping the future of the travel market.
According to Amadeus, travelers are looking to "savoring the now," embracing the trip of a lifetime. Bucket-list destinations such as Machu Picchu are trending with flights to the Peruvian cities of Lima and Cusco up by nearly 50 percent.
Travelers are also looking to take a "Friendcation." After a couple of years apart, 2022 will be all about large and small reunion trips. Group bookings have increased by 83% since last Fall according to Amadeus Demand360(R).
Active Ecotourism is another trend that has emerged following the pandemic. Travelers are interested in taking action, with a growing demand for trips supporting diverse global communities, according to Amadeus' data.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents said that opportunities for travelers to be involved in the preservation of tourist destinations will help the industry to become more sustainable in the long term.
Business travel is ready to make its comeback in 2022 with new technology ushering in expense-free mobile travel payments. Seventy-two percent of business travelers are eager to travel in the next year.
Amadeus also identified "Wanderlust Streaming" as a new trend with travelers looking to visit places based on their viewing habits. For example, Amadeus found that tourism in Porthgwarra, Cornwall, increased as much as 50 percent, according to Visit Cornwall, as a result of the TV show Poldark.
The future of travel is also embracing the futuristic. Interest is piquing for high-tech, lightning-quick travel options such as supersonic flight and hyperloop technology.
