Tourism professionals are frequently asked at the beginning of a new year what we predict will be the "hot travel trends" for the coming year.
This year, that's a tough question, particularly during the current global economic downturn, and with such countries as Greece, Ireland and Germany experiencing fiscal crises as never before. Travelers to several international destinations during the past year experienced labor strikes and other shut-downs of essential services and infrastructure -- causing them to be "stuck" at their destinations.
There does, however, seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel in some travel sectors such as heritage and cultural touring, spas and resorts, and luxury travel, all of which continue to remain popular -- giving rise to a certain degree of optimism about where travel is "headed" in 2011.
The following article appeared in the UK's issue of Hotel & Resort Insider, on February 9, 2011:
"For the last few years, the tourism industry is witnessing some emerging trends and issues among bulk of tourists which is resulting in some new developments in the industry itself. It is expected that these upcoming trends will influence the strategy development, business, marketing policies and the tourism planning in the year ahead.
"Here we provide you with the key issues and the forthcoming trends in the tourism industry:
Memories and experiences
"It has been observed that contemporary travelers being bored by the sedentary lifestyle and mounting work pressure are yearning for leisurely activities, and they are more eager in having new and unique experiences. Travelers are willing to utilize their vacations to the utmost to rejuvenate. Traditional travel sectors which include adventure travel, nature tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, and vacationing with family are still popular with the tourists. In addition to this, tourists are also admiring several non-traditional activities such as bird watching, mountain biking, cruise travel, festivals and special occasions, the thrilling experiences of which will offer them splendid memories to treasure.
Technology
"The internet has modernized the face of travel industry, with its massive impact among the tourists. Travelers are seeking information about different destinations via internet, which is influencing their decision-making and is the fundamental force behind personalization and customization. Travelers also prefer online bookings and reservations nowadays. These immense changes brought about by technology in the travel and tourism industry also highlight other modifications, such as airlines, travel agencies and other travel professionals which are merging with each other with the objective that bigger is better.
"The smaller establishments are mostly affected by this development and in order to compete, they should tailor their strategies according to the needs of the specific target audience.
Changing face of tourists
"A large number of financially potent elderly people across the globe with enough time are looking forward to enjoy their dream vacations and are planning to travel. Moreover, minority groups including African-Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics will constitute an increasing percentage of all travelers.
The growing competition among the airlines has resulted in opening up of new routes, and most of the new routes to the US are more focused to the West (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, San Diego and Salt Lake City.)
The growing competition among the airlines has resulted in opening up of new routes, and most of the new routes to the US are more focused to the West (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, San Diego and Salt Lake City.)
"Therefore, all these upcoming trends and issues will surely cause a sea of change in the tourism industry."
My name is Gregg Jones and I am with Historic Manassas, Inc. I agree about the changing face of tourists. I am seeing this changing profile and I am seeing Americans with Asian and Hispanic heritage, seeking trips to civil war landmarks. This is new and we are preparing for them with translators and other unique services. Most will not want or can spend too much time on a hot summer day outside. Many activities will have to be inside or as morning and evening activities. I think this is a very relevant article.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, Gregg. With the 150th anniversary of US Civil War battles occurring over the next 5 years, preparing with translators and other unique services for incoming tourists from other countries is excellent planning.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. People want to make unique memories and feel entitled to their annual adventures! I enjoyed your blog. Great job!
ReplyDeleteKimbra L. Henry
http://travelersadvocate.wordpress.com
Kimbra~ We're so glad that you enjoyed this Blog article. We appreciate your comments and hope that you'll visit our Blog again soon. We try to post interesting articles which engage our readers, and comments are always welcome.
ReplyDeleteAgree - it's the Long Tail - endless choixce creates unlimited demand (Chris Anderson) - fragmentation and niches and people are looking for active and experiential experiences and involvement and also to learn something - the concept of edutainment. Topicality is also the name of the game as well - here in Coventry where I sit on the board of the The Hebert Museum and Art Gallery we have the Secret Egypt Exhibition running that showcases over 200 Ancient Egyptian effects borrowed from the store rooms of the UK’s top Egyptology collections. This week - and its school half term holiday - 2,000 people through the doors of the museum a day and access had to be restricted to the gallery where the exhibition is located. The shop is re- odering its Egypt collection! Events in the Middle East will at the very least have provoked an interest
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