Despite the various challenges that 2021 brought, we were able to carefully taste that free holiday feeling again. Also in 2022 we want to visit new bucket list destinations and realize dream trips. We do this in a different way. Off the beaten track, with more insight into local impact and sustainability. This year we dare to think again about beautiful trips to special places. That's why the travel trends for 2022 are listed below.
The corona crisis has changed our outlook on life. According to a recent Booking.com survey, travelers need more positivity and spontaneity. We are much more aware of what we can do without and attach more value to every holiday opportunity that comes our way. The majority of Dutch travelers would therefore now say a resounding 'yes' to every holiday within their budget. Research by Amadeus also shows that travelers are more open than ever to travel. People are realizing that they need to live more in the now, and want to book that once in a lifetime trip as soon as they can. Waiting is no longer an option.
Travelers have recently found out what is really important. Before the pandemic, travel was dominated by business travelers. However, that is no longer the case. People are much more likely to go on vacation with family and friends. Research from Airbnb shows that 42% of respondents are family-oriented travellers. This percentage is higher than any other type of traveler. Also according to the research by Amadeus, strong relationships are more important than ever and that is why people like to go on holiday with friends. People are seeing the option to finally have a real-life reunion with their loved ones again at the end of the pandemic and the number of friendcation bookings on booking platforms is skyrocketing.
'Digital nomads' and 'workations', these words have been known in the Netherlands for a number of years, but thanks to the rise of Zoom, Teams, and Skype meetings, they have acquired a completely different dimension. Working from home is more common than ever, making it easier for many employees to work from another location. Whether this is in the Netherlands or abroad often no longer matters. Companies have become more flexible and a lot is possible online. According to Airbnb, this development makes it much easier to stay or live abroad for a longer period of time. UNWTO has even introduced the concept of ed-ventures, which combine vacation and education. This allows students to take classes online or on location while parents are telecommuting.
We are becoming more and more aware of the reality in which we live and thus of climate change. Two-thirds of respondents to the Amadeus survey said they prioritize sustainable travel. UNWTO also notices a difference in this compared to previous years. Travelers more often choose to travel in a sustainable and slow way. For example, we often book a longer stay and choose to take it easy during the holiday, with more focus on wellness activities. When on holiday, we pay more attention to our ecological footprint by booking with sustainable companies and buying products and food from local businesses. It is also striking that we often book a holiday in our own country to take it easy.
The pandemic has made people much more flexible about where they want to go. Airbnb noticed this especially in the search behavior of travelers. Many potential vacationers searched for accommodations without entering a specific location. Furthermore, people now more often choose to travel to places that are far away from mass tourism. No more busy cities or famous tourist attractions, but discover unknown places. Lonely Planet has also been busy researching the wishes of travelers, which resulted in several (still relatively) undiscovered destinations. For example, Belize, Slovenia and Anguilla are on the 2022 Best in Travel List.
