Amadeus reveals annual trends for what travelers can expect in the coming year
Influencers become agents, business class fares are splitting, artificial intelligence is evolving and musical tourism is driving demand, and eVTOL is preparing for takeoff
The travel industry is constantly evolving. Using its own data, industry-leading insights and expert analysis from across the organisation, Amadeus has identified what could be coming next year in its annual travel trend analysis. This year, it has identified five developments that aim to create more meaningful travel experiences for the planet, the economy and the traveller.
Johan Nordqvist, CEO, Amadeus Scandinavia, announces: ”After a period of reflection and reassessment over the past few years, we are now starting to see a wealth of new ideas in our industry.
”Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) will continue to grow in importance across the industry in 2024, while electric taxi flights are finally approved. Trying to make the most of real-world experiences, whether it’s traveling to see our favorite artists or following the digital footsteps of influencers, will also drive bookings next year, as airlines continue to adapt their offerings in line with the changing needs of travelers.
”There is much to be excited about when it comes to travel in 2024, and Amadeus, in collaboration with our partners from across the industry, will continue to make the travel experience better for everyone.”
Music tourism
Following the pandemic's social isolation, when bands and artists were stranded for months, we've seen a boom in concerts and festivals this year, tapping into the need and desire for belonging. The trend is expected to accelerate as we look towards 2024.
British rock band Coldplay recently announced tour dates for next year, attracting fans from all over the world. Research from Amadeus suggests that Coldplay's 2024 concert dates in Romania and Greece had a significant impact on search and booking volumes in both countries.
Taylor Swift will also continue to tour in 2024 – and continue to influence global travel. According to a recent press release from Amadeus, which analyzed flight searches for performance dates in the Asia-Pacific region, there is a correlation between bookings and the dates of her concerts.
Influencers become travel salespeople
Social media has long been a valuable tool in the inspiration phase of a trip, but a new shift is taking place. Instead of influencers being the sole source of vacation inspiration, bookings are now being made directly through their various channels. Influencers like Ana Hernández Sárria, travel photographer Rafael Fernandez Caballero, travel blogger the Blonde Abroad, yoga and movement coach Sjana Elise, and full-time traveler and content creator Alyssa Ramos are designing and arranging their own group trips.
The rise of so-called ”Agents of Influence” is being facilitated by e-commerce sites like Thatch, Luxury Travel Hackers, and TrovaTrip, which Inc ranked number 236 out of 5,000 of the fastest-growing companies in the US in 2023. This technology allows influencers using Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, for example, to share a booking link directly on their profile page and also handle payments.
Electrical airspace
As cities become more congested and air pollution more widespread, one potential solution to fossil fuel-powered transport will be the emergence of ”electric skyways.” These could allow flying taxis, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and other types of electric aircraft to offer lower-emission air travel, both within urban areas, to satellite airports, to districts, and between islands.
It may seem futuristic, but German aircraft manufacturer Volocopter plans to provide a fleet of electric VoloCity eVTOLs for the 2024 Paris Olympics, making it one of the first electric air taxi networks.
In the US, Joby Aviation intends to start commercial eVTOL flights from 2025 and has signed agreements to work with Delta Air Lines and Japanese airline ANA, which wants to operate e-taxi flights during Expo 2025 in Osaka. In the UK, Virgin Atlantic has invested in a fleet of Vertical Aerospace eVTOLs that could serve a city-to-city network of ”electric flight routes” as soon as 2025.
Intelligent Customer Service
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is adding enormous value to the digital travel planning experience for consumers, as search and advice become hyper-personalized and more intuitive. Instead of selecting filters to fine-tune a search on a metasearch site or online travel agency (OTA), travelers can simply give instructions to a chatbot in the same way as a human advisor.
For example, a new ChatGPT plugin from Expedia acts as a virtual travel assistant, listening to customers' needs and providing instant hotel and travel recommendations, with links to booking.
The next generation of GAI-powered customer service will be delivered with greater patience and empathy, reducing the workload for employees to handle the bulk of customer service and customer reviews, giving them the bandwidth to provide the human touch to more specialized issues.
Business ”light luxury”
With more and more travelers wanting to fly at the front of the plane, there is an opportunity to offer more affordable and accessible ”split” fares in business class.
In 2019, Emirates was one of the first airlines to launch special business class tickets, with no lounge access, limited seat selection and no upgrade options. Qatar Airways followed suit, introducing a Business Class Lite fare, where passengers were asked to pay extra for lounge access and date or route changes, while also earning fewer Avios/Qmiles.
As the trend took off, Zipair from Japan and Finnair began offering ”basic” business tickets in 2021, while Air France and KLM added Business Class Light fares in 2023.
At the other end of the scale, airlines are also installing more spacious ”luxury” business class seats in row one that are only available to a select few. Examples include Virgin Atlantic’s new Upper Class Retreat Suite; Condor’s Prime business class seat; Air France’s bulkhead seats on its reconfigured B777-300ER; and JetBlue’s Mint Studio on the A321LR.
Evidence that this trend will continue into 2024 includes news from Air New Zealand, which will add either four or eight rows of a new Business Premier Luxe product, while Lufthansa will offer seven types of Allegri business class from 2024 at varying prices with varying benefits.
According to the press release.
