Is green traveling part of new travel trends? What about foodies heavens or staying at locals? Let's see what is popular and why.
What will people choose for their 2016 holidays? What is trendy in 2016? At GreenPick, we looked up for the latest trends to how those would change tourism in the future. Travel trends evolve as travellers seek increasingly for new experiences.
For instance, a study done by Booking.com reveals than more than half (52%) of 32,000 global travelers would be likely to choose a destination based on its social or environmental impact. That was for 2015 but is that about to change? Is green traveling still on?
What is changing in travel trends in 2016?
Bucket List traveling
For the GreenPick, this one big trend of 2016. Travelers want more than just a holiday. They want to experience something unique, that can be part of a wish list or the so called Bucket List. Traveling has become a journey about learning from different cultures, experiment new tastes, discovering untouched landscapes, improving ourselves.
When we were traveling back in time, it was all about relaxing and enjoying quality time with family to forget about work and stress. The idea was to disconnect about all duties and chores and simply think of ourselves and do sightseeing or shopping. The trend has evolved over the decades and people tend to like more experiments and uniqueness. Maybe this is linked to the rise of social media and the will to distinguish our experience from others and to share with people, but holidays are simply not just a cocktail on the beach, it takes much more to make it a successful holiday. Bungee jumping, jungle treks, staying at locals or trying unclassified food, are very trendy and we are sure you’ve seen it more and more on your social feeds.
People are ready to spend more because it’s worth it. This is explaining also why experiential marketing is booming (relating to Fortune’s 2016 travel trends article). Not only people want to live their travel as a unique experience but in order to sell them a holiday, airlines or hotels need to give them a taste of it through experiential marketing. We won’t choose destinations because of the deal anymore but because of its uniqueness.
Seamless experience all along
Ok that maybe not seem as fresh news but in 2016 we will see more and more apps for everything to make your travel experience completely seamless. Booking a flight or a hotel is not the selling point anymore. Now everyone expects a hotel, an airline, to be able to provide an experience more than a product. A research reveals that it takes about 80+ days for a traveler to make two travel decisions. From researching to planning, everything has to go seamlessly and the trend keeps rising. Apps such as App in the Air or KLM offering social gathering during flights (thanks to the “who is sitting next to me” program) just prove the above. In a world of possibilities and of consumerism, the product is simply not enough anymore and the selling point is not just the product features or price.
Go go mobile
To follow up on the previous trends, this one is also not completely new but will continue to grow. Increasingly more vacation destinations are offering mobile companion apps that enhance and open experiences by providing additional content and, according to David Elkins, senior director of advertising for TripAdvisor, ways to stay connected with their traveling companions. Mobile also enables brands to create more immersive and tailored experiences with their consumers. Trivago is offering free guides apps per country. Pretty complete with sometimes audio guides for historical monuments. Very convenient. In the 2016 Trip advisor Barometer, one of the thing that travelers can’t travel without is their smartphones. It seems that this trend is the strongest among Millenials. It also appears that Wi-Fi connection is becoming increasingly important for them while chosing an accommodation. Since social media, traveling has become more than simply entertainment but also about sharing with others. How many people now make pictures whilst traveling just for sharing it on Facebook? This trend will definitely start shaping the travel industry!
Tourism Go Greener
The rise of eco-certification such as GreenGlobe or GreenLeaders is a reflection of a trend that keeps on growing. People want to travel more responsibly. Woofen, volunteering and learning to work with permaculture is very trendy nowadays. More associations offer free volunteering in many different countries and for those who are on a long journey, this seems to be a perfect option. Traveling with a greater purpose. Being sustainable has become a way of living, which is more and more noticeable in the travel industry. But these trend is especially real for the luxury traveling sector for several reasons. First, those green certifications have a cost and luxurious resorts and hotels have more budget to dedicate to sustainability in general. Second, travelers who stay to this kind of accommodations are demanding and want to feel good about their choice. The survey from Booking.com also reveals that travelers who are concerned with sustainable travel were also 50% more likely to plan to book more luxury accommodations in 2015 than in 2014, and three times more likely to want to stay in eco-friendly accommodations. As an interesting fact, 73% of Brazilian travelers would choose an accommodation based on its socio-environmental impact.
Go as Locals
Despites the fact that traveling has never been so connected, and that almost all places have a review online, people do want to go as locals. AirBnb success is a proof of that. Maybe because traveling has evolved to learning and uniqueness; people want to share more. So staying at locals, eating like locals, living as locals, is becoming very popular and the request for local’s insights is gaining in popularity. Some travelers book a stay at locals only to grasp their recommendations. The application Eatwith, i-likelocal.com, local tips from MYatB and are taking good advantage of this trend.
Health: traveling is more and more seen as a health journey
Health is one of the biggest 2016 trend in general, and the travel industry isn’t spared. The rise of connected products in 2015 has proven the fact that people are more and more conscious about their health and willing to consume better and healthier. The same goes while traveling. Detoxing, going to a yoga retreat, experimenting silence for 1 week with Buddhist monks or even simply going for more active holidays is also shaping the future of traveling. Soon, the travel industry will have to come with innovative solutions to combine health and holidays, offering for instance health focused tours or apps indicating what activity is available in the surroundings for them to reach their activity rate etc. Many ideas can be thought of and the industry is starting to pick up on this trend.
Food is becoming an essential part of the trip
As health, experience and green are essential to a 2016 successful trip, this one goes almost without saying. Food is and has always been part of the core of a trip. What is changing is the food itself. Because people take care of their health, they are seeking for higher quality. Seven of the top 10 predictions from the American Culinary Federation survey, relate to sustainability, healthy eating and locavore dining. People want to eat green, local and healthy.
