2023 expected to break travel mould

With the holiday season fast approaching and people travelling more locally and internationally following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Expedia Group has revealed that in 2023, travel will be all about breaking the mould.

The tailored report for travel partners shares information sourced from the company’s first-party data, and from custom research of thousands of travellers and industry professionals across 17 countries, including South Africa.

No to normal

Expedia said the new era of travel is all about saying “no” to normal and searching for experiences without compromises.

“We’re seeing a surge in trips to culture capitals, a new wave of interest in wellness retreats, and a spike in demand for outdoor destinations beyond just beaches and mountains – not a new normal but people branching out to unexpected trends in what we’re calling the ‘no normal,’”said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands.

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Optimism

Expedia said after some tough years, the tourism industry seems ready to rebound.

“Just recently, South African stakeholders across the tourism value chain, including the department of tourism, met during the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s (TBCSA) conference where they discussed and mapped the way forward for the sector. “

In her budget vote speech, Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu, said that the sector contributes about 3,7% to South Africa’s GDP. That’s more than agriculture, utilities and construction, therefore, it’s important that the industry is revived again,” Expedia sad.

Destinations

The Expedia research deep dives into what is important to South Africans when it comes to travel including self-drive destinations.

“Drivable destinations are the top choice in most countries, with experiences or tours popular in South Africa (46%), Brazil (45%), and Mexico (36%).”

The research also showed that 54% of Mexicans and 59% of South Africans find travel inspiration on social media and South Africa (70%), Mexico (69%) and France (67%) emphasise finding the best price online.

Travel costs

“South Africans (60%), Canadians (60%) and Americans (57%) are concerned about inflation affecting their travel plans in the next year and Latin American and South African consumers value loyalty programs most, while Japanese do not.”

Concerns about health and cleanliness are waning.

Expedia said 2022’s  Traveller Value Index showed enhanced cleaning is not a top three factor when booking lodging, transportation, activities, or visiting a destination, whereas it was in 2021.

“Consumers are more concerned about rising costs of living,” Expedia added.

For the full consumer report on The No-Normal; Unexpected Travel Trends in 2023, go to https://www.expedia.com/see/2023traveltrends-expedia.

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