Travel, as reconnection

Instead it’s about an escape from the same four walls and the local park that we’ve become a little sick of looking at for days on end. As we saw in our previous piece on wellness, Covid has resulted in a mental health crisis which is driving consumers to products and services that can help alleviate stress and anxiety. 
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The other byproduct of working or studying from home and socially engaging only through video calls is constant connectivity to devices. We’ve found that people are suffering from ‘zoom fatigue’ and the pressure of feeling always-on and connected. This need to get away from it all could also extend to digital devices and the opportunity to switch off for a while. 
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We all need some time to find our focus again, and reconnect with ourselves. 

The third area of focus for consumers as they get back to travelling internationally will be reconnecting with family and friends who live abroad. The increased hassle associated with travel could result in more combined holidays which involve visiting family or friends and then tagging on a mini-holiday. A sense of making the most of every trip. This could drive some interest in tailor-made holidays which encompass a variety of activities and tick off many boxes. 23% of millennials have expressed that they’d be more interested in tailor-made holidays in the next 2 years. 
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Aside from connecting with family and friends, many are keen to reconnect in general - looking for travelling experiences that facilitate meeting new people such as group tours. 17% of consumers globally would now put the ability to meet new people in their top 3 most important considerations when booking a holiday. Rising to 27% amongst millennials in China and 22% of millennials in the US. 
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The data suggests that it will be important for businesses in the travel space to consider the role of human reconnection as part of travel. Enhancing our experiences and highlighting all the benefits of travel beyond just ‘getting away’ which we had come to take for granted.

One of the benefits of grounded planes and grounded people has been its positive impact on our planet, with a reduction in emissions from commercial airlines and some much needed breathing space for the typically overcrowded tourist destinations around the world. Our 2019 report about sustainability showed its increasing influence in products and services in a range of sectors from food to skincare to fashion. In many cases sustainability is becoming less an ‘add-on’ benefit and more a hygiene factor. It should be considered, and if it isn’t that gives people a reason NOT to buy something.

Our data suggests that sustainable travel is going to be a key consideration for many travellers following the pandemic - it is on the radar for 80% of consumers globally. And it’s not only about carbon footprint but also about taking in the local culture and giving back to the wonderful communities that host us. Sustainable and mindful travel is about connecting to the destinations we visit and the wildlife, people and ecosystems that surround them.      

This has enabled people to move out of cities, in some cases even to other countries to live and work remotely. Pre-pandemic we already saw how remote work was starting to enable increasing numbers of people to become digital nomads, or to decouple their working lives from the location of the work itself. This ties in with a growth in independent workers, entrepreneurs and freelancers who are seeking an alternative lifestyle. For this growing but still niche population, there could be opportunities to deliver bespoke experiences that combine work and leisure. Priorities for this group could include access to co-working hubs, networking opportunities, and a great WiFi connection. We find this area super interesting, so if you’re building something in this space we’d love to hear from you.