DESTINATION MARKETING TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2015

Here at TOPOSOPHY we believe that you can only take the best decisions when you can see the bigger picture – so we’re starting the New Year with in-depth analysis of the biggest trends emerging in global tourism and
marketing.

Will the Apple Watch break new ground where other tech wearables have failed to do so?

Will this be the year when we see Airbnb take the leap and merge with a major online travel agent?

Will we ever reach ‘peak selfie’?

Will DMOs take more initiatives in community and economic development?

Discover our top 15 travel trends for 2015…

Want to know more about TOPOSOPHY? Find out here.

International Tourism & Travel Trends

The WTM Global Trends Report 2013 was just launched during London’s WTM 2013, in association with Euromonitor International and highlights the emerging trends from around the world.

A global overview presents the following key findings:

• The global economy is expected to record 3.1% growth in 2013, a stable performance compared to 2012.
• The IMF predicts global GDP to grow by 3.8% in 2014, thanks to positive growth in the Eurozone, the economy picking up in the US and a further increase in emerging markets.
• The long-term economic potential of the BRICs and other emerging markets remains solid and is expected to drive positive performance of the global economy over 2015-2017.
• Global tourist arrivals and inbound spending are predicted to continue to be vital over the 2012-2017 period, boosted by increasing demand from emerging markets.
• Advanced markets are recovering after the difficulties experienced since the crisis with tourism flows and spending from the US, Japan and Europe returning to growth. 
• Online travel agencies are growing in importance, with Expedia and Priceline dominating this space. Players from emerging markets are also gaining ground, like the Chinese online travel agency Ctrip.
• Mobile travel bookings are becoming significant globally, reaching double-digit shares of online sales for some key players in the online travel agency and hotel categories in 2012.

The Global Trends Report 2013 reveals how travel players are differentiating and innovating their products and services, all while embracing social media.

Non-traditional demographic groups are emerging with PANKs ‘Professional Aunt, No Kids,’ a new target market in the US, while child friendly and multi-generational safaris in Africa are growing more popular.

We see that business models are adapting to suit customers’ needs, where low-cost carriers are going upmarket in the Middle East and hotels offer microstays. Peer-to-peer continues to make inroads despite legislative hurdles. The lure of the East grows apace with cruise operators diving into the Chinese market.

Social media channels are important to improving the customer experience, as seen with the emergence of the mobile concierge, while in India, social channels are giving online travel companies’ sales a welcome boost.

Here are the main identified trends per region:

• Americas: PANKs – A New Demographic

The travel industry is starting to cater to the ‘Professional Aunt, No Kids’  demographic.

• UK: Travel Happiness Index

Routehappy.com provides a unique measurement of customer satisfaction via its happiness scores for airlines.

• Europe: Next Generation Peer-to-Peer Travel

Peer-to-peer travel services are recording strong growth in Europe,  offering authentic experiences at affordable prices.

• Middle East: Low-Cost Goes Upmarket

Middle Eastern consumers have a penchant for luxury, which has led LCCs to introduce business class-style services.

• Africa: The Big Five with Your Little One

Child-focused safaris in Africa are becoming more popular, driven by demand for multi-generational holidays.

• Asia: Fight for Cruise Control in China

China is set to become a key market for cruise companies as this new type of holiday rises in popularity.

• India: The Travel Social Shake-Up

Indian online travel players are using social media more effectively to target young urban consumers.

• Global Village: Vacancy on Demand – Chasing the 24-hour Traveller 

Microstays have emerged as an attractive means of boosting hotel revenues, by targeting business travellers on the move.

• Travel Technology: Mobile Concierge

Travel companies are increasingly using mobile channels to satisfy customers’ needs before, during and after the trip.

You can find the Full WTM Global Trends 2013 report here

and check out TrendSpotting 2013 for all the latest Tourism & Travel Reports

Big Data & the Travel Industry

Big data has the potential to transform how travel companies deliver services to travellers, according to the latest study by Amadeus.

Big data is arguably the biggest opportunity in a generation for travel businesses to embrace the changing structure of data and maximize its use. It offers the potential for a vast shift for all travel companies, empowering them to enhance both the business and experience of travel. As with any generational shift in technology, however, the opportunities arrive hand-in-hand with the potential for significant disruption, which naturally bring many challenges – competitive and creative – for the travel industry to consider.

Amadeus Big Data Report

“At the Big Data Crossroads: turning towards a smarter travel experience”, an independent study just published by Amadeus, explores the impact of large volume, unstructured data known as big data on the global travel industry.

The study finds that travel companies are at a crucial big data crossroads: big data has a vital role to play in delivering a more efficient and tailored travel experience with benefits to both travel companies and travelers alike. However, its potential is still confined to early adopters in the travel sector, and it calls for more widespread consideration across the industry about how new approaches to big data can yield significant opportunities.

http://www.amadeus.com

Here is an overview of the major points:

Big data offers significant benefits for all travel companies
The benefits of big data for travel providers and travelers are explored, including:
• Better decision support
• New products and services
• Better customer relationships
• Cheaper, faster data processing

http://www.amadeus.com

Big data in the travel industry is currently being driven by early adopters

The diverse ways in which big data is being used by early adopters in the travel industry are investigated, with a focus on:
• Optimizing revenue management
• Customizing travel distribution
• Transforming corporate travel
• Enhancing internal operations
• Boosting financial performance

Challenges need to be overcome so the industry can realize the potential of big data

The study acknowledges the technical and operational challenges associated with big data adoption in the industry, namely:
• Creating an integrated data source
• Working in a hybrid technological environment
• Overcoming the data skills shortage (an issue in all industries adopting big data)
• Maintaining competitive advantage

Finally, here is a series of recommendations for travel companies preparing to embrace big data:

• Research big data
• Strategize about big data 
• Don’t just explore big data technology – look at the changes you will need to make to business and operational    processes too
• Start assembling big data skills 
• Work with partners

Find the Full Report here

View this and all the latest Tourism & Travel Trends and Developments in Trendspotting 2013.

Study Snapshot: Business Travel Insights

According to the latest traveller insights report commissioned by Amadeus, 47% of travellers lack full comprehension of corporate travel policy and 34% of travellers went ‘off-plan’ in 2012. It shows that business travel goes online while mobile still has a long way to go, opening up opportunities for travel managers to build a more effective relationship with travellers.

The report, ‘Amadeus Business Travel Insights: the 21^st Century Business Traveller’, charts the behaviour and aspirations of business travellers across the UK and Ireland, identifying opportunities for travel departments to introduce new services and technologies that will deliver additional value to travellers.

Key findings include:

Technology changing the face of business travel

Tipping point reached in the ability to book online: the data displays new opportunities for self managed travel as two thirds (66%) of travellers are now able to book their business travel through an online booking tool. Only a third of travellers (33%) are able to book travel on a mobile or tablet device, providing a significant area of opportunity for travel managers, TMCs and technology companies to put their knowledge and company policies in the hands of the traveller.

Itinerary change management provides opportunity to add value

Half (51%) of the survey respondents had to make changes to their travel plans in 2012 with 37% having to amend their flights whilst on the road. These statistics indicate a clear opportunity for the travel department to add value as only 30% of travellers said the department had been ‘very effective’ at making the necessary amendments to their bookings.

Clear gap to bridge between corporate governance and user awareness of policy

One third (34%) of travellers surveyed said that they had gone “off plan” during their 2012 business travel. However, this increased to half (51%) for those travellers who made 11 or more trips in 2012, nearly a fifth (18%) of them went “off plan” at least five times during the year.

Convenience is the top priority for business travellers

The report found that convenience is prioritised by business travellers above cost and comfort, with 62% of respondents stating this was the most important factor when travelling for business. Just over a fifth (22%) stated cost as their top priority, with only 15% putting comfort first. 32% of the business travellers who took part in our survey would also like to have the opportunity to extend their business trip to include self-funded leisure travel and 14% would like to be provided with information into local sights.

Ambivalence to the corporate travel department

However, the report delivers some more mixed reading for travel managers. Whilst half of the travellers surveyed said that they fully understand their company’s corporate travel policy (51%), this leaves nearly half who have a more limited or no understanding. Respondents demonstrated an inability to pinpoint the value added by the corporate travel department: nearly half (47%) said that the department neither helped nor hindered the business, 15% said that the corporate travel department hindered their ability to do business.

As Diane Bouzebiba, Managing Director of Amadeus, UK and Ireland, comments: “Putting the [corporate travel departments’] expertise in the hands of corporate travellers and exploring mobile technology to facilitate the planning, booking and amendment of travel arrangements, will go a long way to help keep travellers on plan, safe and better connected in 2013 and beyond.”

The report is based on a survey of over 400 UK and Ireland adults who work for large companies and regularly travel for business and was conducted in December 2012, by ICM Research on behalf of Amadeus UK.

Source: www.amadeus.com

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TrendSpotting 2013 is Here!

The abouTourism Trendspotting compilation is here to give you the whole picture of where the tourism and travel industry is headed in 2013 and beyond ! 

2013 is more about developing instant, personalized & bookable services. For destinations and tourism companies, what matters is offering customized and relevant information by gaining access to large amounts of data from multiple sources.

Consumer technology is changing traveler behavior and expectations. Organizations and companies try to keep up with the latest advancements focusing on cost optimization and performance enhancement while they also need to increase their focus on how technology can better meet their travelers’ needs.

The global travel industry is experiencing a continuing upward trend due mainly to an economic boom in Brazil, Russia, India, China and in other developing countries. More and more organizations worldwide are adapting their business models to take advantage of opportunities in emerging markets and especially the BRICS. But what about the SLIMMA and the TUsCKns markets?

Click here for the new TrendSpotting 2013 to check out all the latest Tourism & Travel Trends!

and don’t forget to register to our new Blog  to receive new updates & articles straight to your email!

Travelling & Technology: U.S. Attitudes & Expectations

A new survey, “Tech Norms for Travelers” conducted by Intel Corporation and commissioned by TNS to explore American attitudes towards travel and technology, finds U.S. vacationers feel anxious when traveling without their mobile computing device, angry when they cannot access power sources to charge these devices and annoyed when others take uninvited glimpses of their computer screens, potentially compromising their personal information.

The survey exposes the deepening love affair between travelers and their devices revealing Americans feel an emotional bond with their mobile devices to the point of feeling calmer and less stressed when they have access to this technology while vacationing.

• Nearly half of all travelers feel anxious without their mobile computing device
• Nearly three-quarters of young Americans admit to suffering “outlet outrage” when traveling
• “Peeping-tech” behaviors rank amongst travelers’ top peeves while almost half fear device heists

Key Survey Findings

Today’s traveler has increased expectations and views each connected minute as invaluable, desiring to create, consume and share safely with a mobile device that is easy on the eye, and the back, with style and design paired with performance and long battery life.

Tech Turbulence

— Female travelers admit greater travel anxiety than men, being significantly more likely than male travelers to report losing their mobile computing device as very stressful (82 percent vs. 73 percent).

— Three-quarters of all travelers surveyed bring their mobile computing device to stay connected to friends and family (75 percent), bucking the idea that dependence on technology detracts from time with family and friends.

Outlet Outrage

— Sixty-three percent of young travelers admitted going out of their way to secure power for their device including compromising their comfort and hygiene by sitting on the floor (37 percent), searching public bathrooms (15 percent) or choosing a restaurant or coffee house based on outlet availability (33 percent).

— Despite our tech addictions, 52 percent of all travelers are annoyed by the physical burdens traveling with technology brings, including heavy mobile devices, power cords and battery packs, and pulling their device out of their bag to go through the airline security check.

“Peeping-Techs” and the Fear of Device Heists

— Forty-six percent of travelers say their biggest pet peeves about traveling with technology relates to device security, including worrying the device may be lost or stolen and someone glancing at their screen. This concern rises to 62 percent among young adult travelers.

— Despite this reported paranoia, around one-quarter of travelers (26 percent) fail to take basic security precautions and admit to security risks including entering credit card details in public, using unsecured Wi-Fi networks, viewing sensitive documents on their device and even leaving their device unattended.

— “Peeping-techs” are among travelers’ top pet peeves. Half of American travelers (49 percent) admit getting annoyed when the behaviors of others compromise their traveling comfort and security, including screen glancing and viewing inappropriate content, with more than 29 percent of all travelers claiming they’ve caught fellow travelers peeping at their screens.

— Despite “peeping-techs” topping the list of travel peeves, more than half (51 percent) of young adults admit to peeping at someone else’s screen while 33 percent of travelers admitted being a “peeping-tech.”

The survey was conducted online within the United States by TNS on behalf of Intel from May 9-13, 2012 among a nationally representative sample of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 and older with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Respondents were asked about traveling with Ultrabook devices, tablets and laptops. 

Full Survey here

The Future of eTourism- ENTER 2012

– An Interview with Professor Dimitrios Buhalis.

Just a few days before ENTER 2012 (24-27 January 2012) Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, President of the International Federation of IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT), speaks to us about the latest online technology applications to shape the travel and tourism industry, and what destinations should definitely know entering this exciting gamezone in 2012.

The ENTER Annual Conference organized by the International Federation of IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) specifically addresses the application of information and communication technologies to travel and tourism. The international event which, especially during the last couple of years, has managed to rise as the leading tourism and technology event worldwide, gathers representatives of the global industry, government and academia providing an active platform of knowledge exchange and interaction.

Dr. Buhalis could you tell us what we should expect from ENTER this year?

ENTER 2012, the annual IT and Tourism conference, will be held from 24th to 27th January 2012 in Helsingborg, Sweden.  Organised by IFITT, the leading international organisation for information technologies in travel and tourism, this conference is expected to be one of the biggest tourism events of the year.

More than 150 presenters are expected to attend and discuss state-of-the-art research with some great names including Viktor van der Wijk, Director e-Acquisition, Air France KLM, Ed Parsons, the Geospatial Technologist of Google, Olaf Schlieper, Head of Media Management at the German National Trust Board and Diego J. Lofeudo from Expedia Travel. Further representatives from Facebook, TripAdvisor and VisitBritain will also be participating.

ENTER 2012 is a worldwide community conference, providing an opportunity for individuals to actively discuss the impact of new cutting edge information and communication technologies on the travel and tourism industry.  This conference will focus on the present and future services and applications of eTourism.  It is a global event attracting over 300 participants from more than 60 countries every year.

Click here  for the conference program

In view of the constant changes in sensitive technological and economical balances in the travel landscape, with new and powerful players entering the travel technology arena and increasing consumers’ expectations, which do you see as the three hotter technology trends to affect the Tourism & Travel Industry in 2012 and beyond?

I would expect that smart phones will provide interactivity, personalised services on location and therefore I would suggest that the destinations should invest on a combinations of

• Mobile Technology and Services
• Social Media, Online Communities and User Generated Content
• Electronic Tourism Marketing and Customer Research on Location based services

Considering the game changing trends and the fact that destination managers try to keep up with the latest technological advancements while dealing with budget restrictions what should be the top technological priority for destinations to invest in within 2012?

I think that the key issues identified above should be the key areas of development for all tourism organisations including destinations. Destinations in addition have the issue of integrating all information that is currently available across different organisations, platforms, and systems and invest in the interoperability of this systems and information aggregation to flexible platforms that will enable travellers and industry to interact with current information.

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Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Technology and Tourism. He is currently Established Chair in Tourism and Deputy Director of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR) and Director of the John Kent Institute in Tourism at the School of Tourism at Bournemouth University and Professorial Observer at the Bournemouth University Senate. He is also the President of the International Federation of Information Technology for Travel and Tourism (IFITT). He previously worked at the Universities of Surrey, Westminster and the Aegean whilst he had visiting appointments at ESSEC in France, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China University of Aveiro, Portugal, and the Modul University in Vienna, Austria. He is regarded as an expert in the impacts of ICTs in the tourism industry, the management of tourism distribution channels as well as in strategic tourism marketing and management. He has recently included accessible tourism in his research portfolio. He has worked around the world and has written 14 books and more than 100 articles. Dimitrios has been involved with a number of European Commission FP5 and FP6 projects and regularly advises the World Tourism Organisation, the World Tourism and Travel Council and the European Commission on eTourism. For more information see http://www.buhalis.com

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Meet abouTourism @ ENTER2012. 

abouTourism’s TrendSpotting 2012 is Here!

abouTourism brings you a compilation of the latest Tourism and Travel Trends to shape the industry

Moderate growth is expected for the tourism industry in 2012, despite the uncertain global economic outlook. Factors such as rising incomes in emerging markets and stable unemployment and disposable income in mature markets are expected to drive demand this year. We have entered a period of drastic change and the industry is reinventing itself to meet changing expectations, rapid technological advancements and a shifting world economic environment.

Visit our TrendSpotting 2012 Page to see all the key trends to influence the global tourism and travel industry in 2012. The list keeps growing as it is frequently updated with all the latest tourism and travel trends. Enjoy!