Consumers want more personalization, customization and automation when it comes to planning their trips than they did in 2019, according to a new report from WeTravel, an end-to-end booking platform that specializes in planning multi-day tours. .
“As an exception to global consumerism across industries, traditional (pre-pandemic, in this context) travel is a well-thought-out and not an impulsive purchase decision, mostly paid in advance with cash or credit cards. Cue consumers slowly embracing e-commerce solutions that have dominated other industries selling common goods and services,” said WeTravel CEO Ted Clements. increase.
“But after two years of industry stagnation, the mundane travel purchase was disrupted. Expectations for personalization, customization, and automation are now well-anticipated from consumer purchases across industries. are dominating purchasing decisions this year.”
Here are some of the key findings from the “Purchasing Habits: The Future of Travel Booking and Planning” report.
Customized packages outperform all-inclusive vacations
56% of tour operator respondents say there is a growing demand for customized tours over all-inclusive packages. Accordingly, more than 85% of his respondents said they offer add-ons or customization options to their tours, an increase of nearly 20% when compared to 2019.
The most popular add-ons are Special Activities and Tours (64%) and Extra Days (36%).
Travel Advisor is seeing similar demand, with 70% of Travel Advisors surveyed saying they see increased demand for add-ons and custom experiences in bookings in 2023. Additionally, 95% said they offer add-ons to the tours and trips they sell.
Direct Bookers Prefer Split Payments
The most common payment option in 2019 was a deposit and final payment due 30 days before departure. For 2023, the most popular payment option for travelers booking directly is a deposit and his four installments before departure.
Traditional payment methods continue to be preferred by travelers who plan, book and buy their vacations through Trip Advisor.
The most popular payment option for these consumers is to make a single security deposit and final payment 30 days before departure through Trip Advisor.
While other payment methods (debit cards, Apple Pay, etc.) are gaining popularity among consumers who book directly with tour operators, 95% of consumers who use Travel Advisor continue to prefer credit cards using.
Reservation window remains tight
60% of tour operators say travelers book within three months before departure, representing a more than 20% reduction in booking lead times compared to 2019. In addition, he is less than 20% of travelers who book more than 6 months before departure.
Women dominate travel purchases
It may not come as a surprise to many advisors, but women continue to dominate travel purchasing decisions, accounting for nearly 70% of all tour and multi-day travel bookings. That’s up from her 60% in 2019.
Looking specifically at purchases made through Travel Advisor, the report found that over 60% of departure purchases in 2023 were made by women.
The average age of tour buyers is mature…
In 2019, the average age of travelers who booked and paid for tours was 30. In 2023, that number will be closer to his 40s, with travel booking growth highest for his 55-year-old age group from 40, followed by his 61+ age group. Age group.
…but travelers are getting younger when they book with advisors
The average age of travelers who choose to book with an advisor is slightly older, hovering around 45. However, the data showed the biggest increase in travelers booking through Advisor was in the age group from she-31 to he-45, an 11% increase for him compared to 2019.
The report’s findings are based on business internal data from over 3,000 tour operators and external research of approximately 150 non-WeTravel tour operators and group travel organizers (ranging from wellness retreats to destination management companies).