Leisure travel is still riding high, but the priorities of today鈥檚 travelers have shifted. In response to greater costs, travelers are taking shorter, more drivable trips that are less pricey and rich in experiences. Read on for more ways leisure travel trends are evolving and how to turn them into opportunities for your destination.
Today鈥檚 travelers are redefining the holidays by choosing where and how they want to celebrate them. More and more, people don鈥檛 feel compelled to remain at home, devoting hours trying to come up with a menu sure to please everyone, arranging for extra seating and kumbaya-ing around a fire. Instead, many are choosing to sing a new tune and head out on holiday getaways. This trend puts destinations in a new role, making them an integral part of family memory-making, not solely an amenity-rich place for guests to lay their heads at night.
When someone says, 鈥渃ulinary tourism,鈥� you may envision epicures savoring gourmet meals in Michelin-starred restaurants or oenophiles sipping varietals amongst the vines at Napa Valley wineries. Well, there鈥檚 a new segment of travelers who are far more interested in Indigenous food culture 鈥� knowing who grew the food on their plate, how it was harvested and the history and heritage behind it. Today, we鈥檙e digging into these travelers鈥� motivations, the hot spots currently capturing their vacation dollars and how your destination or resort can satisfy their appetite for Indigenous food experiences.
Buckle up, destinations! Gen Alpha is here, and they鈥檙e paving the way to what鈥檚 next in family travel. Born between 2010 and 2024, Gen Alpha is the first generation to be born entirely within the 21st century 鈥攖echnically considered minors, but a major influence on their parents when it comes to vacation planning. Here are some ways to know if your marketing needs a tune-up to reach this unique group.
Traditional SEO is key to climbing search results, but the concept feels almost quaint in today鈥檚 fast-paced tech landscape. We already introduced you to AEO and GEO for websites. Now we鈥檙e here to tell you about social search engine optimization (or SOSEO). Why? Because travelers are leaning into social media more and more for visual inspiration and highly focused planning (think: Nashville 3-day trip itinerary for a bachelorette party with coastal cowgirl vibes).
Where escapism makes way for enrichment and meaning-making beats out sightseeing, you鈥檒l find the wanderlusters who travel with purpose. DON鈥橳 STOP READING if you market a luxury oceanfront resort or getaway-from-it-all destination! There are ways for you to capture these travelers 鈥� we鈥檒l get into the details surrounding that 鈥� but, first, it鈥檚 important to understand their motivations.
Ghost tours. Haunted hotels. Prisons widely known for intense paranormal activity. Besides the obvious, otherworldly connections, they all have one thing in common. They are powerful economic and cultural assets for destinations. It鈥檚 true. Now more than ever, travelers are intrigued by these mysterious brushes with the unknown and the numbers aren鈥檛 afraid to show it. In fact, haunted tourism, also known as dark tourism, has become a multi-billion-dollar global business.
Data suggests that U.S. travelers are making one thing loud and clear. They鈥檙e ready to distance themselves from getaways fueled by hustle and bustle, sensory-heavy attractions, jam-packed tours and rushed itineraries. Instead, they鈥檙e seeking escapes focused on mindfulness, nature, a break from overly techy activities, and, yes, even cell phones 鈥� gasp! As predicted, the quietcation travel trend is silently making itself known 鈥� and perking up the ears of savvy destinations everywhere.
ICYMI, texts are the preferred means of communication for 鈥� just about everyone. With consumers of all generations glued to their phones, brands have a vast audience within easy reach through the latest SMS marketing trends. Let鈥檚 get straight into it.
In travel and tourism, timing and relevance are everything. It鈥檚 all about sending the right message at the right time. Utilizing automated email marketing is one of the ways to help make this happen. Also known as trigger emails, these highly personalized motivators bridge the gap between a dream vacation and a booked one.