The consumer continues to prioritize spending on vacations, but how will they travel?

“We want to discover to connect, grow and feel and the only thing we want is the experience,” he said. Anna Grigoryan, Head of Strategy and Transformation at HBX Group.

In the opinion of Ali Beklen, Founder and Managing Partner of HotelRunner -sales management platform-, the key trends are marked by the need to establish “a open communication” and by the increasingly frequent solo travelers. He maintains that tourists “seek open and clear communication channels at every step of their journey as users” and in this sense, in his opinion, it is appropriate for companies to consider “to what extent are they open to communicating?”

Regarding solo travel, he highlighted that it is a demanding profile and both the destination and the accommodation and even the local experiences and products must be prepared for this type of visitor. To achieve this, “communication” is essential, she insisted.

For its part, Elif Balci Fisunoglu, general deputy director of Tourism Operations and Development at the Tourism Promotion and Development Agency Turkey Tourism (TGA), highlighted the enjoyment of the experience as a great driver of travel. A trend that they respond to with personalization. To do this, they rely on technologies, such as “artificial intelligence, which plays a crucial role in our strategy. It allows us to adapt content and advertising to the interests and country of origin of each user,” he indicated.

In addition, to be aware of the needs and evolution of travelers, they also have a digital platform, carry out surveys, monitor social networks and market research, which “help us understand emerging trends,” he added.

Alan French, CEO of Thomas Cook – a brand relaunched in 2020 by the Chinese conglomerate Fosun -, highlighted three trends. The first is consumers’ desire to enjoy the experience, “especially younger ones, who want to go on vacation not just to go somewhere, but to do things,” he said. “I think the challenge is for us and for technology: what can you do on vacation while you’re on vacation?” he added.

The second trend focuses on “really experiencing what happens in those communities. The hotel itself is not enough. The traveler wants an immersion in the local communities and particularly the youngest ones,” he noted. The third is sustainability and although “really good things are being done” in this sense, she believes that “the client wants to really understand what it means and the industry has to take a step forward to be able to do so.”

At the same time the consumer evolves, so do companies to try to adapt to their needs. A clear example is the expansion of brands by hotel chains, in order to respond to the demands of different profiles.

For Rubén Fernández, general manager of the Airmet management group, there are two segments to take into account because they can have a great impact on companies: millennialswho are between 25 and 34 years old, and a slightly older group, over 34 years old, many of them in positions of responsibility and with high incomes.

In this way, Fernando Vives, commercial director of Minor Hotels Europe and America (formerly NH Hotels), referred to the importance of “understanding how the hotel chain ecosystem over the years.” He explained that Minor Hotels has eight brands, which allows it to reach all types of users, and is developing the ninth, which will probably be launched in 2025.

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