Space travel and eco-activism high on the radar for 2019
It looks like sustainability and cultural immersion will once again be hight on travellers radars, after gaining huge amounts of popularity over the past few years.
That is, according to new data released by Booking.com to reveal the top travel trends we can expect for 2019.
Using insights from over 163 million verified guest reviews and research from 21,500 travellers across 29 countries, the online booking site has singled out eight major predictions for 2019.
1. The Appren-trip
2019 will see a focus on travellers making choices with extra significance as they look to add more purpose to their trips. Over half (56 per cent) of global travellers agree travelling has taught them invaluable life skills.
When looking at the most popular kinds of trips with purpose, 68 per cent of global travellers would consider participating in cultural exchanges to learn a new skill, followed by a volunteering trip (54 per cent) and international work placements (52 per cent).
2. Easy does it
In 2019, “ease” will be the gold standard by which tech travel innovations will be judged.
In past years, travellers have heard a lot of buzz around artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and speech recognition; in the coming year, the winning innovations will be those that can seamlessly offer these technologies as a practical solution to travellers.
Think keyless room-access with your phone, personalised travel tips or a robotic concierge who can communicate with guests in their mother tongue.
Research has shown that the innovations that will have travellers most excited include real-time luggage tracking through a mobile app (57 per cent) and having a single app for travel planning, booking and travel needs (57 per cent). This is higher than the prospect of using self-driving transportation in the traveller’s destination (40 per cent).
3. Watch this space – uncharted territories
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 and beyond, we will continue to push the extreme limits of where travel will take us and as space technology advances, even the prospect of space tourism will seem achievable with 40 per cent of travellers confirming they are excited about the prospect of space travel and are open to experiencing it (38 per cent).
Until space travel becomes a reality, 2019 will likely see new, seemingly impossible types of holiday home and hotels out of our imagination start to emerge before our eyes.
Of most interest is under terra firma, with six in ten travellers (60 per cent) confirming they want to stay in accommodation under the sea.
4. Up close and personal
2019 looks set to see rapid developments in the way travel information is consumed and used. Generic travel guides of the past will make way for increasingly short-form, hyper-relevant and personalised content.
A third of travellers want someone or something to do the hard work and make travel recommendations for them and around two fifths (41 per cent) want travel brands to use technologies such as AI to make travel suggestions based on past travel experience.
In fact, over half would be excited about tech travel innovations such as a digital tour guide, bringing them a truly bespoke experience.
5. Conscious travel
Reflecting increased global interest in social issues such as human rights, equality and working conditions, 2019 will see a more conscious traveller with even more questions being asked around social, political and environmental issues in potential travel destinations before making a decision on where to visit.
Currently almost half feel social issues in possible travel destinations is important when choosing where to go and over half (58 per cent) choose not to go to a destination if they feel it will negatively impact the people who live there.
As travellers increasingly seek new and authentic experiences, they also want to ensure that they can travel in safety.
Platforms such as Destination Pride are harnessing the power of multiple data sources to provide travellers with a ranking of how LGBT+ friendly their chosen travel destination is, while destinations and organisations will increasingly step up their support for women travelling alone.
6. Plastic not-so-fantastic
Millennials and Gen Z travellers will look for sustainable experiences in their destination, while accommodation providers will look to reduce their plastic usage and increase their sustainable credentials.
An overwhelming majority of global travellers (86 per cent) say they would be willing to spend some time on activities that offset the environmental impact of their stay, with over a third willing to clear plastic and litter from a beach or other tourist attraction.
As travellers have a greater desire to travel with conscience, there will be an increase in the number of new travel start-ups and individual enterprises committed to shaping a new future for our planet’s destinations, with intriguing technology at the core of their solutions.
7. The experience curator
Travel with experiences at its core was one of 2018’s major travel trends but 2019 will take it even further. ‘Doing’ will weigh equally with ‘going’, if not more, when it comes to travel reflection.
For almost two thirds of travellers, experiences are now valued higher than material possessions, 2019 will see travellers packing in many different and authentic experiences, from where they eat and sleep to how they shop or watch their favourite sports game with an emphasis on creating moments that will bring us joy and comfort long after the fact.
In 2019, two-fifths of travellers plan to visit a destination that makes them feel like a kid again.
We’ll see properties looking to add more childlike and playful touches such as ball pits and bouncy castles for adults to cater for a Millennial and Gen Z audience, who are the biggest groups who travel to feel like a child again.
8. Maximising the micro
Over half of global travellers report they plan to take more weekend trips in 2019. It’s a year that’s predicted to be all about made-to-measure, bite-sized travel with more curated itineraries squeezed into shorter time frames.
Less is most definitely more as travellers are offered a more bespoke experience.
With continued innovations in transport, from more flight routes, easy, on-demand car rentals and real-time public transport insights, the micro trip will become more varied and tailored, making shorter trips more personal and rewarding.
We’ll also see a continued surge in desire to stay in unique and remarkable types of accommodation, which offer the chance to make a serious travel statement, even on the shortest of getaways.
Latest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.