As another uncertain holiday travel season approaches amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Google has revealed some helpful insights for marketing to holiday travelers.
According to Google, more than one-third of people around the world (36 percent) are currently traveling in some form or fashion. That improvement since the start of the pandemic has been driven by a decline in the perceived risk of taking a vacation (down 17 percent since January 2021). Nonetheless, marketing travel successfully in the coming months will hinge on being able to craft a message for the cautious.
Google reports that, on average, only 45 percent of travelers said they planned to travel within their own countries in the early fall and just 8 percent planned to travel internationally. As for holiday travel, 30-40 percent will plan trips a month or more in advance while the majority will make plans less than a month ahead of travel. Therefore, travel businesses will need to highlight flexible booking and cancellation options. In the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), booking and cancellation flexibility ranks as the second most important factor influencing consumer holiday travel decisions, trailing only price, deals and discounts, according to Google.
Meanwhile, health and safety procedures are the top priority for travelers in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries.
In addition to knowing what travelers are prioritizing in the time of COVID-19, it helps to know where they're headed. With health and travel advisories and pandemic-related travel restrictions ever-changing, most travelers will be sticking closer to home this holiday season. APAC leads the way in terms of traveling domestically this season (55 percent), followed by Latin America (42 percent) and North America (40 percent) and EMEA (40 percent). Google also points out that, of those expecting to travel within the next three months, 55 percent plan to travel outside of their state or province but remain within their own country while 53 percent plan to remain within their state or province.
Travel businesses also stand to benefit from understanding the experiences that will drive travel this holiday season.
"As marketers look to make the most of domestic travel, 50 percent expect travelers to prioritize socially distanced options during the remainder of 2021. In turn, the travel industry will need to prioritize sanitation, masking, social-distancing protocols and crowd minimization to meet the expectations of holiday travelers," writes Susie Vowinkel, Industry Director, Travel at Google.
Visiting friends and family is the top reason to travel this holiday season, with 50 percent of travelers in North America planning to spend time with loved ones over the remainder of 2021. Travelers in EMEA (30 percent), Latin America (29 percent) and APAC (27 percent) are also being inspired by the prospect of visiting with friends and family for the holidays. However, travelers are also seeking sustainable travel options more than 18 months into the pandemic. Citing Booking.com's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report published back in June, Google points out that nearly three quarters of travelers (72 percent) think that travel companies should offer sustainable travel choices.
"People are eager to start exploring again, priming the industry for a comeback," concludes Vowinkel. "While many marketers feel unprepared to meet the surge in demand, these insights show a focus on safe, flexible and meaningful domestic options can help meet customer expectations."
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