‘Significant changes' to consumers’ travel habits, says Elegant Resorts

The pandemic has resulted in “significant changes” to affluent consumers’ outlooks, lifestyles and travel inclinations, according to a luxury travel trends report by Elegant Resorts. 

The tour operator surveyed its high-net-worth clients in the months of June and November 2021 and found that 43% have altered their future bucket-lists in light of Covid-19. 

Elegant Resorts has seen its average booking value increase by 46% compared with 2019, while the average number of passengers per booking has increased by 10%, and the duration of their stays on average is 25% longer than before. 

While over three quarters of respondents (76%) said their travel budget remains the same, 16% said they intended to spend more on luxury holidays over the coming year.

Beach holidays remain the most popular holiday type for 94% of respondents. Traditionally popular destinations continue to be firm favourites, with 42% of clients travelling to the Caribbean, 27% visiting Europe and 14% travelling to the Indian Ocean in the next 18 months.

One of the most significant trends from the Future of Luxury Travel Trends Report 2022 was the increased interest for city breaks, with 80% now wanting to take a city break in the next six months. 

The top five destinations booked since January 1, 2022, are Barbados, Spain, Dubai, Maldives and Antigua.

Japan was the number one destination topping consumers’ wish lists, followed by French Polynesia, the United States, Africa and Thailand. 

Demand for staycations continues to be high. Some 58% of respondents said they were still interested in luxury homes and experiences within the UK - a 70% increase on 2020.

Elegant Resorts said it had also experienced increased demand for wellness retreats, while ‘the quality of food and drinks’ and ‘ability to experience the local culture’ also feature highly on clients’ wish lists. 

Responsible travel continues to be a key trend. Some 90% of respondents said they want to book a holiday with a company that supports responsible travel; 85% said they would like to stay at a hotel that has a strong responsible tourism policy; and 90% said they wish to avoid overdeveloped areas. A further 73% want to fly with a company that has a lower carbon emissions and 56% want to offset their carbon footprint.

The report also found that 72% of respondents are still keen to travel before the end of March 2022, while 71% said their travel plans remained unaffected. 

Elegant Resorts said Covid-19 testing and airport disruption were the most prohibiting factors for travel but the risk of contracting the virus was of low concern. During early October, testing was still consumers’ main concern, alongside not having the same experience in resort due to factors like having to wear masks. 

Flexibility to amend without charge, financial protection and hygiene of the destination were ranked as the top three factors that are more important than before Covid. 

Over 97% said they valued a specialist’s expertise when it comes to planning their future holiday. Elegant Resorts said it was also experiencing an uplift in clients returning to book with the operator having booked direct for many years.

When all restrictions were lifted for vaccinated passengers at the end of last year, the operator saw sales demand increase by 70% versus 2019 and its weekly sales between September and November 2021 exceeded 2019 by an average of 65%. 

When the US opened in borders in November, sales and enquiries for the operator reached a record high, up 222% compared to 2019.

 

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