The world's oldest and largest global travel host agency, InteleTravel, recently released the findings of its first travel sentiment survey, which was sent out to its global consumer network at the start of the fourth quarter.
The data pointed to strong consumer confidence for the upcoming holiday season, consistent across various travel sectors, with one overriding concern-cost.
Other standout trends set to affect the outlook for 2022 include a return to reliance on travel advisors, Las Vegas as America's most popular domestic destination and the Caribbean emerging as the most sought-after international destination region.
Key findings:
-62 percent of respondents said they'll be traveling for holidays this year, with the majority (83 percent) sticking to domestic travel.
-60 percent are traveling without children for the holidays.
-Price is the number one concern when booking a holiday trip (80 percent).
-53 percent of respondents plan to travel moderately (three to five times) in 2022, mainly for pleasure.
-Las Vegas emerged as the top destination (55 percent) among those traveling domestically next year.
-65 percent plan to travel outside the U.S. next year, with the Caribbean being the most popular (54 percent) international destination among Americans. The second most popular is Europe.
-65 percent of survey participants said they did not use a travel agent for travel in 2021, but 86 percent said they plan to use one in planning their travels next year.
-Roughly 50 percent of respondents indicated that they plan to take a cruise, either this year or next.
"These are really strong numbers but not entirely surprising. There is tremendous pent-up demand, and with restrictions being lifted and consumer confidence returning, we anticipate a slingshot effect to last for the next 18 months," said James Ferrara, President of InteleTravel. "We have seen record-breaking numbers in all our booking categories and, as I anticipate substantial consumer confidence to return within cruising sectors in first-quarter next year, these figures will rise expediently further."
Potentially at odds with this fervent wanderlust and increased bookings, "cost" shows up as the number-one concern among travel consumers, followed by worries about trip availability, and navigating new rules and regulations that have come about as a result of COVID-19.
"'Revenge' traveling is another trend we are seeing, especially among millennials, where a feeling of deserved travel is required to offset being locked down for the past year," Ferrara added. "However, these travel experiences may occur more often, for lower costs and shorter durations."
Perhaps the most surprising revelation to come out of the survey is that consumers increasingly plan to recruit the aid of travel advisors, rather than book their trips independently due to a host of uncertainties relating to pricing, potential refunds and navigating pandemic-era protocols.
"Booking with a travel advisor is the best possible strategy to navigate the new world of travel," said Ferrara. "Agents provide all the information you need to know, from the most advantageous pricing, key destinations, various requirements, how to protect your purchase, and best of all, they provide peace of mind, something that is lost with self-booking sites."
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