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8 Travel Trends You Need To Know For 2019
Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 02 July 2019 5:15 AM CAT
From eco activism to virtual agents, here's what every traveler are talking about in 2019!
From artificial intelligence-inspired holidays to activities that offset the environmental impact of your stay, 2019 promises to be an enthralling year for travel.
Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com says: "With technological advancements, an ever more connected world and a continuously growing consumer appetite for the best travel experiences, we’re poised for groundbreaking developments, taking travel to unexplored heights."
While we might know where we're hoping to travel to, it's about time we start thinking about what we want to do when we get there and the trends everyone will be jumping on this year.
Here's their go-to list of 2019 travel trends:
Over half of global travellers (53%) report that they plan to take more weekend trips in 2019, which will mean big business for local economies.
2019 will be the year of 'bite sized travel' - squeezing in more curated travel itineraries into shorter time frames. Thanks to improvements in flight routes, transport, cheap flights, on-demand car rentals and accommodation, micro trips will become increasingly more popular and varied.
The chance to stay in unique and remarkable types of accommodation during short getaways will also reportedly become more trendy so get those yurt and caravan bookings in, ASAP.
2. Concious Travel
Think of 2019 as the year for the conscious traveler, with everything from human rights and equality to improved working conditions and environment issues influencing people's decisions about potential travel destinations.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, speech recognition - these are the innovations that'll slowly take over and simplify the way we holiday in 2019.
As Booking.com says, think keyless room-access with your phone, personalised travel tips or a robotic concierge who can communicate with guests in their mother tongue.
Travellers are reportedly now more enthusiastic about real-time luggage tracking through a mobile app (57%) and having a single app for all their planning, booking and travel needs (57%) than the prospect of using self-driving transportation in their destination (40%).
2019 will also see more tech developed for use pre-trip at research stage. Almost a third (31%) of global travellers admit to liking the idea of a 'virtual travel agent' in their home, and one in five want to see technology such as augmented reality helping to familiarise themselves with a destination before they arrive.
2019 is the year to seriously look at how your travel information is consumed and used.
A third of travellers (34%) admit to wanting someone or something to do the hard work for them, and make travel recommendations. Meanwhile, around two fifths (41%) want travel brands to use technologies such as AI to make travel suggestions based on past travel experience.
Over half (52%) says they'd be excited to use a digital tour guide, bringing them a truly bespoke experience so next year is definitely a time to watch out for companies using better ways to curating and delivery our picture-perfect holidays at the click of a button.
5.
NASA will start construction of its Lunar Space Station in 2019 (launching in 2022) and we’ll continue to see considerable investment in orbital spaceflight in 2019.
Over half (56%) of global travellers agree travelling has taught them invaluable life skills, and 2019 will see a rise in people’s desire to learn something new - this may include volunteering and skills-based holidays - while on holiday.
Generation Z will reportedly become more acutely aware of the need to question expensive university degrees over and against life skills that can be learned while travelling.
Trips with a purpose will become more popular in 2019, with 68% of global travellers considering taking part in cultural exchanges to learn a new skill, followed by a volunteering trip (54%) and international work placements (52%).
Travel with experiences at its core was one of 2018’s major travel trends but 2019 will take it even further, says Booking.com. Almost two thirds of travellers (60%) value experiences higher than material possessions, now which will mean 2019 will see travellers packing in many different and authentic experiences. From where you eat and sleep to how you shop, there will be more of a focus on comfort and happiness, than materialistic opportunities.
In 2019, two fifths of travellers (42%) plan to visit a destination that makes them feel like a child again so watch out for more tactile exercises (think ball pits and bouncy castles) for your more traditional thrill-seeking adventures.
According to WRAP, the amount of plastic waste generated annually in the UK is estimated to be nearly 5 million tonnes so it's no surprise the environment will be a hot topic of conversation in 2019.
