The current booking process is changing the landscape of tourism

Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated during travel, work, travel, requirements, expectations, and priorities. The booking process to date reflects the revitalization of indigenous areas with persistent restrictions for avid users of the experience of exploring the boundaries of destinations called home.

According to the news, in this period, the concept of vacation at home has found a new meaning because people can do their job in any place due to the normalization of distance work and stay more in tourism destinations. In the short term, however, even with the flexibility to do work from anywhere, people are reluctant to book early for fear of travel restrictions that cancel travel.

The ongoing restrictions on international travel have led to domestic recreational tourism improving the travel and tourism sector in the short to medium term, and increasing the demand for domestic travel to domestic destinations and activities.

Looking to the future, the demand for accommodation in countries with long-term travel restrictions is likely to remain strong and even increase. In fact, about half of all global travelers plan to opt for domestic travel in the next 12 months.

Poll data taken during the big Chinese National Day holiday in 2021 show that 49.1% of Chinese tourists choose intra-provincial travel, which is 4.1% more than in 2020. Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan have also experienced increasing demand for accommodation. In Europe, too, domestic travel has increased as vaccine rates have risen and health restrictions have eased.

With the return of international travel, domestic travel may be relatively reduced, but the process of reviving domestic destinations is likely to continue in the long run.

Longer stay, longer fun

Vacation service providers are looking for new ways to have meaningful travel experiences by bypassing current limitations, including longer trips. By 2021, more than 52% of global travelers will prefer to stay longer, and almost one in four people (26%) would prefer to stay longer than 10 nights; In 2019, the average length of domestic travel was 4.45 days and 9.22 days for international travel.

As hybrid models become more prevalent and travelers’ desire to combine work and school with leisure travel increases, it is expected that stays will be longer and potentially increase in the future. In addition, if people can be telecommuting, 40% of travelers tend to quarantine before the holidays.

Change the booking process

Uncertain restrictions that change rapidly have affected the booking habits of travelers. Travelers are less inclined to book trips than months ago and are increasingly looking for flexible bookings. As a result, airlines, hotels and other travel providers were forced to adapt their cancellation policies to possible changes to their travel plans.

Seventy-six percent of travelers surveyed in 2020 said they were more inclined to book hotels with flexible cancellation and refund policies.

Of course, shorter booking periods may be a temporary phenomenon; Reports indicate that overnight bookings are gradually declining; While pre-booking is on the rise. Worldwide overnight bookings fell from 39% in the first week of 2021 to 23% by April 25 of that year. This statistic indicates that people prefer to book their vacation earlier than the days before departure; Therefore, shorter booking periods will not last long.

The charm of secondary destinations

Following the outbreak of Covid disease, 19 people are increasingly looking for secondary destinations, rural areas and nature-based destinations to travel. Modern travelers are also looking for adventure. 40% of travelers prefer to discover unfamiliar destinations.

Also, 69% of travelers are interested in visiting lesser-known destinations; While 72% hope to support local communities through travel. Travel providers have adapted to this trend, delivering content and products to travelers through innovative new marketing strategies such as live broadcasts, and launching dedicated advertisements for rural and sub-destinations.

Travelers have tended to reduce their footprint and increase their social impact. In fact, before the epidemic, 51% of global travelers expressed a desire to exchange their original destination for a lesser-known but similar alternative that has less trace and greater impact on society. This trend is increasing with the increase of people’s interest in sustainable travel, charity and rural tourism. However, in order for these goals to continue to grow sustainably in the long run, effective destination management and investment must be supported by public, private and community partnerships.