8 Big Travel Predictions for 2017
Inspired by a wealth of data, traveler endorsements, reviews, preferences and insights as well as industry leading understanding and innovation in e-commerce travel technology, the experts at Booking.com shed light on eight major travel predictions for 2017. Read on to find out what holiday makers and business travelers can expect to experience in the year ahead. For the full report, go to https://news.booking.com/8-travel-predictions-for-2017/
1. Instant Gratification 2.0
Technology is fuelling a more demanding and impatient traveler. Travelers already expect to be able to plan their holiday in a few simple taps of their smart phone and expect their use of travel apps to increase in 2017. With this, we’re increasingly looking to technology to eradicate any and all on-the-road niggles, deliver answers to our specific needs in the moment and enhance our experience with recommendations and short-cuts we haven’t even thought of. Seamless assistance at your fingertips.
2. Getting to Business
The ‘bleisure’ boom is well and truly underway, and 2017 will see a further upswing not only in the blurring lines between leisure and business travel, but in the value we attach to workplace travel opportunities. No longer seen as lost time or a career inconvenience, business travel is increasingly appreciated as an opportunity to expand horizons, find inspiration and progress in a career.
3. Appetite to Discover
The discovered world has many undiscovered places and 2017 promises to see travelers unleashing their inner explorer like never before. Whether it’s trekking into a remote mountain village or finding a gem of a guest house on the other side of tracks, we’re seeing evidence all round of an ever-growing appetite to embrace undiscovered environments in an authentic way.
4. Mind, Body and Soul
In a hectic world, people are increasingly seeing travel as a way to bring balance back into their lives. The coming year will see many travelers prioritizing health conscious trips that promise harmony for the mind, body and soul - particularly those from India, China and Thailand. Accommodations across the world are upgrading their offerings to match this growing demand.
5. Go Green or Stay Home
Sustainable travel means many things to many people, but there’s no denying the trend for both travelers and accommodations becoming more environmentally and sustainably aware as well as responsible. This mirrors the way in which people are increasingly finding ways to fulfil their aesthetic travel needs while maintaining cultural and environmental integrity by taking longer, more scenic routes and modes of transport. Eco-friendly stays are no longer the preserve of the few, but an expectation of the many.
6. Simple Pleasures
Travelers in 2017 will be inspired by their own aspirations rather than material possessions. Travelers are also becoming less interested in fancy embellishments and more interested in the small moments and simple pleasures of a journey.
7. The Human Touch
As the ying to technology’s yang, interacting with amazing staff and forging genuine relationships on holiday will be an increasingly important hallmark of travel in 2017. As a result, we can expect to see meaningful human interactions becoming the currency of travel in the months ahead, prompting huge advances in chat bot technology to match the warmth, personality and spontaneity of real human communication and connections.
8. Fly Me to the Moon
Travel has become a lifestyle, not a luxury for increasing numbers, and it’s unsurprising that we are starting to see people’s desires to explore go beyond this world. Who knows what new additional frontiers will open up for us over the coming year?
“Experiencing the unknown, encountering different people and cultures, and testing new limits has always been at the core of what drives us to travel and 2017 is certainly shaping up to be an exciting year,” said Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com. Whether it’s the other side of the planet or just down the street, we want to dig deeper, seeking authenticity and a real sense of connection at every step along the way.