2020 has caused many travelers to rethink how and where to travel, here are key insights into the ideas that will shape 2021’s traveling habits.
The start of COVID-19 vaccination rounds is a reason for hope, and for the first time in a long time people are feeling optimistic about travel again. 2020 caused many travelers to rethink how and where to travel, and they will not be going back to travel as they did before. For many Gen-Z travelers, luxury spa trips or exclusive cruises seem irrelevant now. Many pursue trips with the intention of learning through local interaction in a mutually beneficial way. This engaging and purposeful travel has different definitions for each traveler, but this is an emerging trend worth exploring. Here are key insights into the ideas shaping this trend:
Values-Driven Travel
After a year of staying at home, we are not taking traveling for granted. COVID-19 makes us all rethink everything, raising awareness of ourselves and others. Therefore, when choosing a travel destination, travelers will seek an experience that will grant them value-driven travel by exploring their destination’s true nature.
This value will stem from the community’s interaction with the travel destination (local services, museums of community histories, historical monuments, etc.) instead of materialistic value (hotel design, exclusive services, etc.). Travel agencies and truisms, companies as we know them will change as well, and we will see more organizations like the Transformational Travel Council, an organization that among other things trains travel advisers in planning more sustainable, purpose-led travel.
Environment First
Gen-Z travelers understand that we cannot continue with our current travel habits; our planet and environment are under so much pressure, and this will only worsen. Now is the time for travelers to start having informed choices about sustainable travel. This can mean choosing versatile traveling options and not just last-minute flights (to reduce carbon emissions), rethinking accommodation options, or simply documenting the true nature of our travel destinations, really showing the destinations through local eyes rather than as tourists.
In conclusion, consumers are ready to spend a lot of money traveling safely in 2021. Still, Gen-Z travelers are looking to make sure the money spent on their vacations contributes to the travel destination’s community and the local environment.
For more on how travelers will gravitate towards sustainable vacations, Read 2021 Vacation Trends Review.