Three new travel trends

EXPEDIA Group has revealed the “next normal” in the world of travel, publishing its top three emerging trends likely to result from the health crisis.

By tracking traveller sentiment consistently throughout 2020, Expedia has identified Australia’s tourism recovery will need to focus on social distancing, recognising digital as the next normal, and targeting under-40s.

When it comes to accommodation preferences, research reveals close to three quarters of Australian travellers favour minimal interaction with hotel staff upon check-in.

Those same travellers noted a desire for clearer descriptions of room amenities and dining to allow for better social distancing, labelling these as critical factors driving their booking decisions.

2020 has also seen the acceleration of digitalisation, with Expedia’s study showing half of consumers expect to shop online more frequently after the pandemic, with 71% of Aussies believing the shift to contactless payments is here to stay.

Generation Z and Millennials were also identified as being the most likely to book first after the travel shutdown, with two out of three (67%) intending to travel within the first six months, and 43% intending to take a trip within the first three months.

Australian travellers under 40 hold a similar desire, with two in three signalling they will travel within the first six months postpandemic, and 38% to take a trip within the first three months.

Conversely, those over 40 are more reluctant to travel, with over half (55%) surveyed wanting to wait at least six months postpandemic to book their trip, with many of these travellers adopting a “wait-and-see attitude”.