Analysts at the travel website Booking.com gazed into their crystal ball to come up with predictions on how people will be travelling in the next year.
For the report, experts looked at guest reviews, industry studies and travel data to come up with their forecasts. Conclusions were also drawn from surveys conducted by Booking.com among 12,780 respondents around the world.
Here are a few of their forecasts:
Relaxation travel
Interest in health and wellness holidays are predicted to spike next year, with notable interest from overworked travellers in India, China and Thailand, according to survey results collected by Booking.com. The travel industry will respond by developing more wellness sanctuaries, dubbed “SanctuStays” ranging from villas, apartments and resorts, with services like wellness workshops and meditation facilities.
Experiences over shopping
Rather than material souvenirs, more than half (58%) of travellers polled said they plan to allot more of their travel budget to experiences, experts say.
A typical room with four beds on a delicate ‘tatami’ floor in a Japanese ryokan. Photo: Reuters
Human automation
In a sign that travellers are increasingly seeking out contact with the locals and more authenticity, bookings at bed and breakfasts and ryokans are the most highly-rated on the site. To replicate human interaction, expect advances in chatbot technology which tries to emulate the warmth and spontaneity of human communication.
Green travel
Travellers are heeding the dire warnings of climate change, and will make more eco-friendly travel considerations in the coming year, experts say. Expect 2017 to see increased discussion on economic incentives such as tax breaks for green travel, and the greening of transportation. – AFP Relaxnews
