Consumers will be looking for more for less from their holidays next year as they continue to book with a “recessionary mindset”.
They will be seeking value and new experiences amid continuing economic uncertainty, according to an annual Travel Insight Report by travel PR company Four bgb.
Top sectors for the trade to target include experiential travellers wanting more than a ‘fly and flop’ holiday, luxury travellers, weddings, honeymoon, single and cultural travellers.
Travel organisations should also be reviewing social commerce, ‘crowdsourcing’ – gaining recommendations from users – using social media to support natural search, working with bloggers and opinion formers and making sure social activity goes beyond Facebook, such as engaging with the 20 million Britons using YouTube.
The report suggests that the failure of smaller travel businesses in recent years has led some consumers to seek financial security by booking a package holiday with a tour operator/travel agent rather than independently.
“This is of course good news for the 5,700 high street agents across the UK and over 1,200 home working agents as well as the many UK tour operators,” it said.
Four bgb managing director Debbie Hindle said: “It’s clear that we are in a long slow emergence from recession.
“We’re seeing evidence of more consumers shopping around before making a purchasing decision and then actively wanting more for their holiday – that’s not just a question of saving money, but a question of getting the best possible experiences into the time they have away.”