Discover the profile of the new traveler
There is a great desire to travel again, to go out, to enjoy, in short to return to the world before the pandemic. This is demonstrated by the 2022 study of the travel sector carried out by the Rebold agency. Own data and analysis from relevant industry sources they expect a return to 2019 numbers in both passenger numbers and revenue, throughout next year.
The work reflects that expectations for recovery in the travel and tourism sector are optimistic, although the persistence of COVID and the invasion of Ukraine may condition the pace of this improvement.
Besides, Spain is currently the main European destination for international and domestic travellers.
Keys to understanding the current travel industry
The current global economic, political and social situation has shaped a sector that has nothing to do with the one that existed in 2019. There are several reasons to better understand this reality:
- Travel within the European continent continues regularly.
- New trends and ways of doing tourism are emerging. For example, outdoor micro-adventures, immersive experiences, or children’s increased decision-making power when it comes to establishing the vacation destination.
- Security takes precedence over financial investment among the first 3 selection criteria.
- Digital media is emerging as the main channel to connect with travellers.
- When shopping online, users value return policies, simple processes, and reviews written by other travelers.
The pandemic has permanently changed the way the global traveler thinks about tourism. Now the maximum is Carpe Diemthat is, they prefer to plan their trips in the short term.
In our country, in 2020, 25.34% planned their trips more than six months in advance. In 2022, on the other hand, this percentage has fallen to 4.33%. On the other hand, the number of people booking their holidays a maximum of 3 months in advance has increased, reaching 81.48%, compared to 43.50% before the start of the pandemic.
Increase in domestic travel
One of the biggest changes in travel has been to replace international travel with domestic travel. The profile of the traveler who travels in its territory responds to people aged 35 to 54, of medium-high socio-economic level and belonging to families with children. Those who decide to leave their borders are generally between 25-54 years old and correspond to a higher socio-economic level.
New technologies and social networks have had a great impact on booking processes. Many travelers interact with accommodations or tourism platforms through channels such as WhatsApp or Chatbox. Similarly, many offer to make their payments with cryptocurrencies.
It’s clear that today’s traveler prefers to use websites to plan their adventures. The most popular today, according to the Global Web Index 2021 study, are Booking, TripAdvisor, Trivago and Airbnb.
The short and beach holidays, favorite of the Spaniards
the beach getaways continue to be the preferred option for domestic tourists who decide to stay on the territory. Those who travel abroad advocate more for tourism. The people of Madrid, Catalans and Andalusians are the most predisposed to travel.
In domestic tourism, coastal destinations are the most sought after, where Andalusia, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community are the most popular options. In domestic tourism, places like Madrid, Castilla y León and Aragón deserve a special mention.
Now, the domestic tourist prefers shorter getaways. Travel lengths, both domestic and international, are concentrated in 7 days, although many travelers prefer to do 4-day getaways or the long weekend model.
The economic investment for this holiday period is generally moderate. Same the Spanish traveler spends less than the international. The preferences of the Spanish traveler if he leaves our borders are Italy, France, the United States, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Overall, the best countries are the same, but adding Spain in first place.
The 2022 travel sector study reveals that Spanish tourists continue to find in influencers of travel and way of life a motivation to choose your holiday destination. As a rule, these are usually exclusive places or to live with the family. The reference content creators are currently: @viajeroscallejeros, @danielillescas, @marinacomes and @thebuckelistfamily.
Exciting Industry Innovations
New forms of tourism have come to settle in the area. Within this wave full of novelties, the following stand out: micro-adventures, immersive travel experiences thanks to the digital world and the metaverse, psychedelic retreats in all-inclusive resorts, or green cartography, that is to say, to seek ecological and sustainable plans.
One of the most established novelties are vacation travel where parents take more account of their children’s opinions when going on family tourism.
Does your company work in the tourism sector? As you have seen, it is currently going through a complex moment, with global concerns and new trends emerging. Before this panorama, It is advisable to have a solid marketing and communication strategy.
For this, you must have complete and up-to-date information. Download now the 2022 travel sector study prepared by Rebold in which you can know the state and evolution of the travel sector, as well as compare the profile of leisure travelers in Spain and the rest of the world.
