Travel remains unperturbed, standing strong, defiant against the less fun inflationary concerns and higher costs of living that try to slow it down…
Travel is digging its heels in and remains firmly on the ‘must do’ list in 2024, impressively at the expense of other things. For some travellers, making adjustments to travel plans is the sacrifice made rather than doing away with travel altogether, and for most globally, travel remains a ‘non-negotiable’ with the insatiable need to get away as strong as ever.
Motivators to travel do vary – perhaps to discover new places, to immerse in new cultures, to share in unique experiences, to visit family and friends, to chase the sun, or to simply have a break – whatever your motivation is to travel, TravelDesk offers thoughts right here on key consumer traveller trends…
The Personal Touch: who doesn’t like the ‘personal touch’? Whether it be at the travel planning stages, having a concierge at your fingertips or when arriving at a destination, technology allows this to be a ‘reality’ and makes it an expectation of travel now. Personalisation in travel marketing with dynamic creative, location and sequential targeting are just some examples of how marketers are trying to resonate with audiences in a bespoke, relevant and timely manner.
The Essential Experience: post Covid, experiences are the new ‘gold’ with people wanting much more than just a break away, with a big rise in… i) following passion points for example Sports, Music tours, and Movie/TV Set visits ii) investing in ‘me’ time for instance food, fitness, and wellness experiences iii) pushing limits for personal growth and development vs just chilling on a beach. Showcasing experiences through creative messaging to provide inspiration is nothing new but is now incredibly important to draw in travellers and incredibly powerful when coupled with precise targeting.
No Room for Fake: with the blight of fake news, people are craving the authentic in life and that’s no different in travel. From experiencing a culture first hand, to eating local, to discovering lesser-known experiences, keeping it ‘real’ is crucial and this applies to reaching traveller audiences within trusted environments to effectively resonate and get them on board.
The Balancing Act between ‘connectivity’ and the ‘human touch’ in travel and discovery requires a fine balance between the phygital – where physical and digital meet – whilst retaining human connection. Wrap this up with the need for personalisation and it presents itself as the crucial scales to balance for the travel industry and in travel marcomms.
Sustainability is Centre Stage and rightly so, we all have a responsibility, and it remains a big challenge requiring deep thinking, constant pivoting, innovation, investment but most importantly of all, action. Ensuring media messaging and positioning is pitched ‘just right’ conveying the ‘action’, will be key in convincing travellers to put their faith in them.
Travel is firmly digging its heels in and rightly so, as for now, it remains at the forefront of people’s minds and spending priorities…Travel is firmly digging its heels in and rightly so, as for now, it remains at the forefront of people’s minds and spending priorities…