Blog 15.01.2021
Onlangs stuurde ik naar mijn DMC partners mijn visie over het komende jaar 2021. Deze wil ik dan ook met jullie delen. Deze keer dus in het Engels.
Dear Partners,
Greetings from Amsterdam.
2020 is the year we learned that life is fragile and the freedom to roam the world can be taken away in the blink of an eye. The world is changing on a daily basis and the travel industry is suffering enormously
Predicting the future is impossible but imagining a way forward is critical. Here are some trends for travel in 2021. We have studied several reports and we have come up with the following summary.
1. Travel is an essential need. 70% will travel in 2021 and 53% will travel even more. Most of the travellers will go big (near or far) or stay home. Amadeus surveys surveys found that 55% of travelers said they would travel for 14 days or more, and 60% expected to take only a few trips a year - which suggests that if people travel, they may want to go all out.
In 2020, we've all become a bit restless at home with time to fantasize about our next adventure. 2021 is the year to bring to realization.
To make up for lost time, people are likely to come up with a “bucket list” trips and looking to tick off those once-in-a-lifetime adventures in the spirit of "life is short and the world is wide."
With added travel considerations, travelers will be looking for unique experiences, taking fewer flights but making those journeys count by staying longer and getting more out of their journey.
With COVID-19 causing travel restrictions and extra stress, there is a clear desire for longer holidays that let people take their work with them. This was confirmed in recent Amadeus research that found that 55% of participants considering a holiday of 14 days or more.
We also believe that 74% requires flexibility in cancellation and reimbursement.
Client require more privacy, space and personal control of hygiene.
2. The loyalty shift: Better service for all
With 40% of tourists saying they would favor airlines, airports and hotels with higher health and safety standards, travel providers must now demonstrate their loyalty to travelers by demonstrating their commitments to health, hygiene and safety - the new currency for earning customer trust.
So far, many companies have been quick to adapt to this demand
Companies around the world are also looking at how to take care of their employees They need to ensure business trips are safe, productive and stress-free as possible.
To do this, corporate travel managers must have the right data and tools to be flexible, reach their business travelers quickly and provide them with the latest information.
3. Travel Agents: Don't leave home without one
This pandemic served to highlight the critical role of travel agents - anyone who didn't have one in 2020 probably regretted it.
As a result, 2021 will see travel agents become the fountains of all knowledge: want some great travel inspiration? Check. Looking for the best deals? They have you covered. Need an update on the latest health and safety standards? Done.
Looking for the latest news on health policies all over the world, from Nairobi to Toronto? You got it. Need help rebooking after a disruption? They'll have it booked before you ask.
If the client had to change a trip or manage a big travel change on its own, he now understands now why it's helpful to have a travel agent in your corner.
40% of global travelers expect their travel agents to be on hand to problem solve and provide more recommendations. With a considerable amount of uncertainty and quarantine rules changing weekly, opportunities for travel agents to become invaluable and irreplaceable sources of information abound.
4. Travel with an impact: smaller footprints and bigger hearts
Travelers also want to do good: a recent survey found that 68% of travelers want the money they spend on travel to go back into the community.
In 2021, we'll see travelers looking to recoup these benefits as quickly as possible and makeup for lost time.
5. A Focus on Safety Across the globe, safety remains critical. Sixty-eight% of global travellers say safety and cleanliness of establishments are important when traveling locally. Keeping up to date with the latest travel restrictions and entry requirements will be top of traveller’s minds.
6. Last minute bookings
With so much uncertainty, people are booking trips closer to the travel date. Fall travellers are booking more near-term trips, often less than a week in advance, according to TripAdvisor.
7. Authentic Accommodation
While hotels make up the majority of interest due to size, Bed & Breakfasts and Authentic hotels have shown continuously stronger recovery year-over-year. Quaint, romantic and charming hotel properties are on the up and more off the beaten path stays like cabins and cottages hit the top five space types for 2021 trips, replacing villas and townhouses from 2020. Also do not forget the more sustainable properties which are known for using less energy and producing less waste.
Challenges for MICE Sector
According to the special travel’s meeting and events division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the demand for events will increase between 5 and 10%. However, the development of spaces to hold events does not move at the same speed as demand, so reservation rates could increase between 2.4 and 3.7%. Faced with this situation, many event planners are adjusting budgets or, on the contrary, reserving venues as far in advance as possible to avoid additional costs.
Most people have spent so much time in front of a screen in 2020 that they still prefer face-to-face events, however:
- Limit the number of participants or use venues large enough to guarantee social distancing: open spaces have priority as well as those with good ventilation.
- Implementation of required sanitation and health measures
- Development of hybrid events: attendees enjoy a face-to-face/online experience where participants who cannot attend in person can do so online. This option reduces the number of people in a place without affecting the number of attendees.
- Flexibility in schedules so that they can be reprogrammed immediately in case of last-minute changes.
We believe that Events with a sustainable approach is the future.
There is no doubt that the future must be sustainable to guarantee the survival of the globe. Therefore, it is now more and more frequent to see events with such approach and that try to generate a positive impact through the promotion of local economies and the preservation of the environment.
Destinations do matter… a lot
New event attendees have managed to merge the world of leisure and business into a new dimension in which the tourist destination is crucial when deciding whether or not to attend an event.
In fact, according to recent surveys, about 70% of attendees say that the venue of the event is a determining factor when confirming their attendance, while 30% say that it is decisive. For this reason, organizers function as dual agents who plan the event on the one hand and the attendees’ travel experience on the other, choosing comfortable and attractive destinations and managing cultural and culinary activities to enrich the experience.
Experience personalization
We do believe that attendees seek greater personalization.
I hope that this knowledge will help you to create exciting products, contract different hotels and innovative programs.
Jan Tourism Consultancy is known for the tailor made approach by their DMC partners. It is not what we do now, but have done already in the past. So I am confident that this will give us a head start in comparison with the others.
Once again stay healthy but also be ready. Some destinations we were able to bring already some business for 2021, but we do believe that the rush will start from March/April onwards. Travel agents expect in Belgium the first start in April (Easter period) and Holland (May onwards, there is a school holiday 1-9 May 2021). Travel agents do expect mostly last minutes requests, so we should be able to offer them ready made - but authentic ideas and fast replies. Do not forget that Non refundable rates are not accepted anymore, and flexible covid related conditions and easy release policy (in relation to Corona).
So last but not least: Travelers' wanderlust will be stronger than ever - it will be a year of renewal and reconnection. However, people will be more conscientious about how they travel: they'll want to minimize the footprint of their journey and make sure their presence is having a positive impact on their host destination.
I do believe that we are at the beginning of a good travel year.
Please feel free contacting me if you want to brainstorm, (re)discuss the strategy or anything else.
For now, stay brave and most of all be healthy!
Inez
