What are the 7 current trends in tourism?

Photo by Smarter Travel

It can be a challenging task to keep up to date with the newest tourism trends. By 2030, it is expected that there will be 1.8 billion tourist arrivals worldwide and the tourism industry is continuing to grow enormously. In this blog, we’ve selected some of the most up and coming trends and insights to keep you up to date while inspiring you to use these tips to grow a sustainable business.

1. New target groups 

Specific new target groups are Gen Zers, ‘bleisure people’ and ‘digital nomads’. 

Generation Z

According to a study of CLIA, generation Z is set to be the largest group of travelers come 2020. Generation Z is a generation that values experiences over simply visiting popular tourist sights, which has created a new market catered towards visiting lesser known and multiple destinations over the course of one trip. 

Bleisure people

Business people no longer travel to a destination just for business anymore. They go on so-called ‘’bleisure trips” or ‘bizcations’. According to a recent survey by Avis Car Rental, ‘87% of business travelers say that they are likely to mix business and leisure on the same trip.’ The line between dedicated business trips and holidays is becoming more blurred, which enables people to get away for a longer amount of time without sacrificing productivity in a very comfortable place.

Digital nomads

According to predictions by Boston Consulting Group, millennials will account for almost 50% of travel spending by 2020. An increasing amount of millennials have decided to work freelance and become so-called ‘digital nomads’. “By 2020 it is estimated that roughly half the UK and American workforce will be freelance” (CN Traveller 2019). The majority of digital nomads look for co-living apartments which allow travelers, mostly solo, to meet other like-minded travelers (for example Nomad House, Unsettled, and Common). 

2. Changing spending habits of tourists

Although most of the international tourist arrivals around the world are coming from Europe, these are not always the biggest spenders. From the research of UNWTO the world’s top tourism spenders in 2017 where visitors from Asia, the US and Europe. It has also been noted that people from the US, Spain and Latin America seem to be traveling more than ever before. 

3. Growing awareness on environmental impact

The growing tourism industry has a pressing impact on a destinations’ local community and natural environment. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of this and are starting to base their travel decisions on factors such as these. 

Sustainability is an increasingly important driving factor in decision making in regards to choosing accommodation. This year, Booking.com presented a sustainability travel report which concluded that: “over half (55%) of global travellers report being more determined to make sustainable travel choices than they were a year ago, but barriers include a lack of knowledge and available or appealing options when trying to put this into practice. Additionally, 70% of global travellers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not.” This shows an overarching change in tourist behavior to prefer sustainability throughout many different demographics.

4. The rise of eco certification

Not only is the food industry marketing their products with certifications such as ‘fair trade, organic, vegan and/or locally produced’: tourist operators and destinations are increasingly doing the same. Platforms are popping up over the internet offering hotels, activities and destinations with green credentials such as One Planet Rating. Eco-certification not only gives recognition, but also is beneficial when applying for grants or for promotional purposes. This so-called green branding has the most legitimacy when aligned with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), who defines sustainable tourism as "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." Hence, it is important to choose the right accreditation for certification as consumers are aware of “greenwashing”. In simple terms, “greenwashing” is implementing measures which only look good from the outside, but essentially is an empty promise of sustainable activity. Looking for a reputable eco-certification can be difficult, but luckily the Oceanic Global has created the first free open-source toolkit, which simplifies the eco-verification process. 

5. Smart city measurements are working to improve the negative impacts of over-tourism

Major tourist hotspots around the world (think: Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona) are suffering from over-tourism. City centers are clogged and full of tourists. However, smart city technologies are emerging, which provides creative solutions that aim at improving over-tourism specifically in cities; for example, illegal tourist apartment rentals can now be detected. Smart cities are using technologies such as the “Internet of things” (IoT)  for the collection of data about how the city is used in order to manage its assets and resources more efficiently.

6. Travelers are becoming more conscious and prefer unique experiences

Travelers are becoming more goal oriented and are searching for a trip with a theme. The need for new experiences is a growing trend for so-called “travelers”. This often goes further than just visiting friends or relatives, or for wellness or religion. When traveling, it isn’t uncommon to hear, “I don’t want to be a tourist, I want to be a traveler”. This means straying off the typical tourist path and having unique experiences without feeling guilty about their impact on their destination. A study from Booking.com (2019) points out, “Millennials and Generation Z travellers will look for sustainable experiences in their destination as 86% of global travellers say that they would be willing to spend some time on activities that offset the environmental impact of their stay.” In terms of tours at tourist destinations, more educational and local experiences that take into account the ecological environment are in growing demand. 

7. Digital personalization developed through new technologies

Digital personalization is a prevailing trend in tourism, which is not surprising, as we are living in the ‘digital era’. Personalization also falls in line with the previous trend of the desire for “unique experiences”. Based on research conducted by Adobe on digital trends in travel and hospitality, nearly 90% of the surveyed travelers admit that a personalized approach is now an expectation. In order to stand out, a tourism operator should personalize their strategies towards customers through a progressive digital strategy. Personal experiences can come in the form of artificial intelligence or other digital and technological solutions. For example, think of solutions which have existed for quite some time now: fingerprints, facial recognition, or other biometric identification methods. Until now, these types of technologies have been mostly implemented for security or identification solutions. However, now customers can also be rewarded via personalized identification as a frequent customer and get personal care in the customer journey, therefore adding value to your business.  

Interested in what these trends could mean for your business? Get in contact with us here to find ways of integrating these trends and more into your business strategy.