Top 5 Travel Trends for Spring “Trends change from week to week,” said Albert Herrera, SVP Global Partnerships at Virtuoso, a leading travel consortium. Case in point: the Caribbean island of St. Barth’s closed suddenly in mid-February, requiring all bookings to be re-routed. Most travelers pivoted to Florida, where luxury hotels like the Four Seasons Surfside commanded rates as high as $2,300 per night. “Analysis needs to be done daily,” Herrera added. BY JANINE YU Still, there are overarching patterns, as well as signs of recovery. Here are some travel trends we’re seeing this spring. As we enter into Spring 2021, with lower COVID-19 case counts and a stronger vaccine rollout, there’s a A recent Virtuoso report showed that US hotels featuring adventure, beach, and seclusion grew the most in 2020. lot of hope that the travel industry is heading for an Hotel Bookings: Attributes by Booking imminent recovery.

Wellness Local Beach Adventure Seclusion Golf Landmarks City Life Ski Ecotourism Immersion

Source: Virtuoso Reports, Hotel, US-Based Regions 2019 2020

“City life and landmarks are down,” Herrara explained, adding “People are interested, but just not booking.” Instead, they are increasingly seeking out eco-tourism and wellness. Villas and private retreats featuring outdoor space are particularly popular, as well as warm weather destinations that are within driving distance.

NAVIS Top 5 Spring Travel Trends Guide 2 3 1. Vaccinated Seniors Lead The Recovery 2. Short, Easy & Familiar Trips

December 11, 2020 may not ring any bells for most Leading the way are older people who have been For most people, the first trip out will be to the people, but for the hotel industry, it was a landmark vaccinated and are emboldened to make travel most familiar places. “We are big travelers and we event. The Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 had just plans. Virtuoso found that older travelers link have waited on travel for a long time,” said Lindsay been approved, which spiked a record number the timing of their travel to when they receive Hannan, a wellness entrepreneur. Hannan and her of hotel bookings during the pandemic. “There their vaccinations. husband did not travel until late 2020 when they were 9,500 bookings for major chains alone,” said confirmed they had COVID-19 antibodies. “The Since completing their two shots in February, Herrera. Compared to an average of 8,000-10,000 antibodies really changed everything for us. We Roger Hollands and Marianne Benson have planned daily hotel bookings in December 2019, this was a still follow all CDC guidelines but feel like we have a spring trip to Maui, a summer trip to Alaska, and significant marker. “It encouraged travelers to start a safety net.” a fall trip to the Outer Banks, NC. It’s a lot more planning trips for the second half of 2021 and 2022.” travel than they did pre-pandemic, but they feel an They have since taken short trips across the Northeast, mostly for family holidays and for pleasure. This spring, According to a January report by the American urgency to get out there. “We were disappointed at they have trips planned farther afield to Texas, California and Baja Mexico, all with a priority to visit loved ones. Hotel and Lodging Association, nearly half of not being able to travel, and both of us will be over “Right now, we consider people we can visit,” shared Hannan. “We miss friends and family we would have consumers see vaccine distribution as key to travel. eighty this spring,” Hollands explained. normally seen by now.”

Lexi Polster, a luxury travel agent, said that booking behavior has started to shift away from extended stays and remote destinations, which were the hallmark of 2020 travel. “A noticeable difference has been the increased demand for weekend trips. We are seeing more requests looking for quick weekends away and increased comfort in traveling farther afield, though most of the international travel is still limited to the Caribbean and Mexico.” Top 2021 Spring Trips amid COVID-19

» The Beach - It’s been a particularly tough winter, so anyone who’s had to deal with a deep freeze will head to sunnier climes as soon as they are able. Don’t Let Those Dreamers Get Away! » Road Trips - Americans took to the road en masse in 2020, and that trend isn’t likely to wane, since most travelers are still reluctant to get on flights until more With NAVIS Shopping Cart Abandonment, capture valuable contact information that a of the population is vaccinated. See The Ultimate Playbook to Capturing the prospective guest fills out before changing their mind. Harness the demand you already Drive Market. have and re-market to leads who may have decided against travel this spring but may still travel in the near future. » Family Visits - Anyone who chose to forego spending the holidays with their families at the height of the pandemic can feel more confident visiting loved ones this spring, now that there are lower case counts, and more people are vaccinated. Segment For Spring Specials

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NAVIS Top 5 Spring Travel Trends Guide 4 5 3. Longer Lead Times, More Far-Flung Destinations 4. Flexcationers While it’s no mystery why a lot of bookings are planned in the short term, with just a few weeks Keep On Going of lead time, there’s evidence that many travelers Travelers to Target are thinking further ahead. Polster makes the One year into the pandemic, it’s clear point that many 2020 itineraries had to be THE SENIORS that remote work is here to stay. rebooked to 2021, so some destinations are Vaccinated and eager Digital Nomads and Remote Workers completely booked up this year. “We are to get back out into will continue to enjoy the flexibility needing to look ahead into 2022 for the world of working while on vacation availability,” Polster said. from a location of their choosing. This is especially true for bucket list trips and Destinations that have opened up THE YOUNG AND dream trips. “What’s truly interesting,” said long-stay offers to this flexible work THE MOBILE Herrera, “is that there’s a lot of wealth out there, force have reaped the benefits – for Less risk-averse and and these people are not scared to plan for the the first time, Americans are the able to work remotely. future. For 2022, we’re seeing that the best suites number one market in the Maldives, and the top safaris are sold out for the best dates. where isolated island resorts offer They also know that hotels are going to be flexible month-long packages, like the THE SUN SEEKERS with cancellation.” $25,000 Work Well special at Vakkaru Tired of the long winter for two people. Travelers are also dreaming of more far-flung and wanting warmth, destinations, which typically require more lead maybe a beach Even nearby domestic destinations time for planning. Italy, France, Japan, Australia, are seeing an uptick in interest from and Greece are at the top of most travelers’ lists, travelers just wanting a change of according to a Virtuoso survey. scenery. The Woodsmen/women THE ADVENTURERS escape urban settings for time in the Italy tour operator Ciao Andiamo has seen some New or longtime fans country; Bubble Buddies embark signs of growing travel interest, especially for of the Outdoors on trips together without needing trips for the second half of 2021. “We expect this to leave their workaday routine; and interest to continue to rise as more are vaccinated, Vagabonds shop for a new city or and COVID-19 numbers and travel restrictions THE SECLUSIONISTS town to call home with extended eventually wane” said founder Jon Pollock. “While Drawn to places stays. Check out our recent it probably will be a relatively quiet start to Italy’s offering lots of ebook The New Traveler Tribes travel season this spring, we are preparing for a space and privacy of Covid-19 for more on these massive uptick in demand for trips throughout the emerging segments. summer and fall, once international travel is widely perceived as feasible and safe.”

NAVIS Top 5 Spring Travel Trends Guide 6 7 5. A Shift To Fewer But More Purposeful Trips

One positive effect of being stuck at home is that it’s forced us to recalibrate our intentions around travel. More travelers have become more purposeful with their future trips, and Spring Forward many have embraced slow and thoughtful travel. Collectors of credit card points and airline miles are saving up for a trip of a lifetime, and Virtuoso has seen an increase in bigger-ticket

bookings, including bucket-list and dream trips. “There’s definitely been more demand “Hospitality has been decimated,” recently, as there’s been pent-up emotion,” Herrera said. For more on this trend, read said Herrera, “but it’s going to recover about Revenge Travel on The Rise. with a vengeance. Give me a story, something to dream about, where to go. It’s going to come back.”

The demand is there, and it’s growing. Skift Travel Research found that 72 percent of Americans surveyed in early February said they would definitely or likely travel in 2021.

“People see a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Herrera. “It’s still flickering, but it’s there.”

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