Travel experts predict a boom of pent-up travel demand for the summer season. The pandemic restrictions are getting lifted in many countries worldwide, and people are looking forward to finally traveling again.
Positive signs of recovery are already visible in some industries, like civil aviation. Ryanair is seeing signs of travel rebound with 1.5 million bookings a week. Its CEO, Michael O’Leary, told the BBC:
“Everybody is right to be cautious, but I think everybody can take their holiday in Europe with a high degree of confidence”.
The growing number of vaccinated people in developed countries allows decreasing infections and hospitalizations and enables countries to lift the restrictions.
Yoann Pahud Hernandez, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva, sees positive signs of international tourism recovery, especially from the U.S. and the Gulf markets. In his opinion, this trend will depend on the Covid-19 passports introduction and restrictions liftings during the following weeks. He also expects a short booking window due to tourists who had booked their annual vacation in domestic/regional destinations. But what is important is that business on the books is more likely to materialize.
Despite the growing desire for traveling, many people are still hesitant to make long-term plans. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, we see a significant shift towards spontaneous trips. For example, the American travel app “Hopper” registered an increased number of last-minute bookings, with more than half of the hotel bookings made just 48 hours in advance. The company wrote in a statement: “As more Americans get vaccinated, travelers are eager to book that post-vaccination vacation they’ve been dreaming of. However, with changing travel guidelines and various vaccine timelines, we’ve seen more consumers opting to book last-minute […]”.
Amusement parks are also seeing a higher number of visitations. AirSage, in its magazine’s issue no. 3, conducted a visitation analysis of Universal Studios in Florida, the U.S., from January 2019 till April 2021 (chart below).
The study results showed an impressive increase in park visitation in March and April 2021. Compared to the same period in 2019 it amounted to +43% and +63% correspondingly (table below). This is another strong indicator that pent-up travel demand is coming, and it is already visible.
Many people book flights and hotels spontaneously, so to make sure your business is on the top of their list, you need a successful marketing strategy. How can you prepare your hotel or travel company for the pent-up travel demand?
71% of mobile phone users who search for travel options are doing so at least weekly. If you want to gain a competitive advantage, your marketing strategy should also target a mobile audience. Target and engage travel dreamers with rich-media interactive creatives, convert their attention into action with relevant offers, and boost your sales. Here are some of Adello’s best creatives for the travel and hospitality industry. Click on the links below the pictures and try them out or check our Creative Gallery for more ideas!
