As summer approaches, the travel pages continue to be filled with a variety of topics, spanning family travel, lesser-known destinations, short-haul city breaks and island escapes. Overtourism continues to be an underlying narrative, with preventive measures being implemented by some destinations and discussion about how travelers can avoid crowds.
In addition, booking far in advance is trending as opposed to making last-minute bookings, which had become the norm during the pandemic. Sabre revealed that UK travelers are leading this global trend, planning 2025 trips earlier than travelers from any other country, as reported by Travolution. This offers an opportunity for PR practitioners to think ahead, positioning the destinations they represent now for the upcoming year.
Below is a summary of industry shifts, global travel trends and the latest insights that our PR teams in the U.S., UK and Europe have compiled from recent media feedback, widespread coverage, industry conferences and webinars:
TRENDS IMPACTING THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
- Go Big or Stay Home: According to a recent report by American Express (Amex) Travel, demand for premium travel and major trips is higher than ever. Survey respondents indicated that they plan to spend the same amount or more on travel in 2024 compared to 2023, a year that was already a boom for travel as the industry recovered more fully from the pandemic. Travelers are showing interest in “bucket-list” destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Japan, Australia and more.
- Shoulder Season and Shoulder Cities: We’ve all heard that traveling during shoulder season is a great way to save money, but now “shoulder cities” are really starting to get some attention. According to new data from Priceline, published by TravelAge West, these “secondary” cities offer a similar but more affordable alternative to popular destinations. Why pay Miami prices when Fort Myers provides nearly the same weather?
- Controlling Overtourism: With pandemic travel restrictions a thing of the past, the drive to reinstate tourism figures has led to consequential issues for some destinations, including disruption to residents’ lives and natural ecosystems as well as an increase in pollution. As reported by Travel Weekly, some destinations are reporting tourism figures higher than those in 2019, resulting in overtourism protests and warnings to the travel sector that it can no longer ignore complaints of overtourism. Examples of control mechanisms that have been put in place are higher tourist taxes in Venice and increased restrictions in Kyoto’s Gion district.
- Accessible Family Travel: With so many families back out there traveling, MMGY Global’s latest report, Portrait of Family Travel™: Autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity, examines the unique travel preferences, behaviors and barriers of families with neurodiverse children. The study highlights the significance of accommodations such as low-sensory/quiet areas, clear and transparent information up front, and – perhaps most importantly – a call for greater empathy and patience. Three-quarters of survey respondents said their travel decision-making is affected by crowds within a destination, which can be overwhelming for their children. These families are most impacted by costs, safety and service when choosing a destination, and the survey found that special accommodations at attractions, staff training and increased availability of destination information are the leading areas destinations can focus on to attract families traveling with neurodiverse children.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
- Affordable Summer Travel: Travel costs have skyrocketed along with the industry’s rebound, and prices for airfare, hotels and rental cars are projected to jump even further this summer. In line with the trend of visiting “shoulder cities,” there’s an opportunity to profile more affordable or great value travel options for travelers looking to get the most out of one of the year’s busiest travel seasons.
- Multigenerational Travel: Multigenerational travel is a growing trend, with more travelers opting to travel with children, siblings, parents and grandparents. Reports claim this is due to a number of factors, including pressures from the rising cost of living and celebrations of milestone birthdays. There is an opportunity to offer stories that feature curated experiences for each age group.
- Solo Travel: According to Travel Weekly, a recent ABTA report found that 16% of travelers went on vacation by themselves in 2023, compared to 11% during the previous year. Solo travel continues to trend across various types of travelers and age groups, whereas it had traditionally been associated with young travelers. This presents an opportunity to position some destinations differently to appeal to a wider range of travelers and age groups.
U.S. MEDIA SHIFTS
- Condé Nast Traveler instituted a new policy related to group press trips, barring freelance writers and editors from publishing stories that stem from a group visit. The decision was made to ensure that the publication’s content remains differentiated from other travel news publications in the U.S. and to encourage exclusive stories.
- With Cision’s recent purchase of HARO (Help a Reporter Out), the service will change significantly, with a maximum of three journalist queries permitted per day in the free version, and query emails no longer sent directly to inboxes. In an effort to provide an experience similar to the original HARO, entrepreneur Peter Shankman has launched HERO (Help Every Reporter Out), which aims to connect PR pros with journalist queries delivered directly to inboxes.
UK MEDIA SHIFTS
- Within the national newspapers, Laura Sharman has been appointed assistant travel editor at Daily Mail, previously serving as staff writer at MailOnline.
- Reader’s Digest has closed after 86 years in operation due to ongoing “financial pressures.”
- Katie McGonagle returns to Travel Weekly as head of features & supplements.
- Milo Boyd has been appointed acting online travel editor at Reach plc, previously serving as travel reporter.
