#Trending This Week - Frontier Tourism, Co-Creation For Restaurants, Spring Break, Vacation Rental Homes, Bunk Beds In Economy, And More
Issue 180 • March 6, 2024
It’s a busy week for travel trends, so we added a few extras to the list. It’s time to add FRONTIER TOURISM to your travel lexicon as people look to explore off-the-beaten path with a touch of adventure. Restaurants are giving CO-CREATION a go where they reach out to influencers, celebrities, and local fans to help design new menu items to get people to feel more engaged. SPRING BREAK 2024 is nearly upon us. Sure Florida is still in the mix, but there are some changes this year from when people are traveling to where they are going. One VACATION RENTAL company is having some problems — could this spell the decline of the vacation rental business? We’re excited to report that BUNK BEDS IN ECONOMY are finally going to be a reality — something we talked about over a year ago. And here’s a target market not to overlook anymore — the 50+ CROWD IS STILL SPENDING ON VACATION — so maybe it’s time to readjust the marketing efforts to them instead of always just Millennials and Gen Z. Check it all out in our three-minute read below.
Are You Ready For Frontier Tourism?
It seems like every week there is a new phrase in the travel lexicon. This week it is “Frontier Tourism.” Essentially, Frontier Tourism is for the traveler who wants to experience a vacation with an element of excitement and is somewhat off the beaten path. Frontier Tourism highlights destinations that are unexplored, raw, natural, and offer challenging adventures. Read more in Forbes here.
The Co-Creation Era For Restaurants
Coming up a little empty on how to jazz up the menu in your restaurant? Maybe it’s time to tap some co-creators. Younger generations want to be part of the decision-making process and some restaurants — including fast food brands — are turning not just to celebrities, but local social media influencers to help them develop new menu items. It’s all about pulling fans into the decision-making process to create a drink or a dish and it makes the restaurant feel more accessible. Read more in Nation’s Restaurant News here.
Spring Break 2024 Trends
Spring Break travel is looking a little different this year. Sure there are people still heading to Florida as usual, but new trends are emerging as well. We’re talking people intentionally planning around popular destinations and dates in order to find better deals and uncharted experiences — with remote work helping out in that realm so they aren’t stuck to those peak two weeks around Easter. Cruise vacations are showing an increase for Spring Break travel as is the fact that Americans are more willing to now venture outside of the US well beyond the Caribbean or Mexico to Europe. Read more in Condé Nast Traveler here.
Vacation Rental Homes Are On The Decline
Could the era of the vacation rental home be over? Vacasa seems to be having issues — laying off staff and its COO departing. The vacation rental company is facing a lot of home churn as well as a decline in reservations with bookings down for a third straight quarter after record highs for domestic non-urban vacation rentals in 2021 and 2022. Perhaps home rentals really can’t compete with hotels when it comes to caring for guests, and it seems like the homeowner experience isn’t that positive either. Read more in PhocusWire here.
Bunk Beds Are Landing In Economy
We reported about these at least a year or so ago and they’re almost here: bunk beds in economy! This September, the world’s first-ever beds in economy class will launch when Air New Zealand rolls out its economy SkyNest bunks. Passengers in premium and regular economy will have access to a sleep zone featuring six lie-flat beds configured in a bunk bed style. Located between the two economy cabins, passengers can book one four-hour session for around $400 to $600. Read more in Condé Nast Traveler here.
Adults 50+ Are Spending On Travel
There was a time when older Americans or Baby Boomers where considered the prime travel target as they had the disposable income and the time to travel. But for some reason, the world changed focus to Millennials and Gen Z. Perhaps it’s time to take another look back at older generations. According to a recent survey by AARP, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans ages 50-plus plan on traveling in 2024. Most of these travelers will stay within the U.S. (63%), while 37% say they will take at least one international trip. On average, older adults will spend $6,659 on vacations this year, and about half indicate they will spend more on travel in 2024 than in 2023. Read more in AARP here.
If you are working in the travel and hospitality industry, you have to keep on top of consumer buying trends in order to make sure your hotel, resort, restaurant, tour, or destination is meeting the needs of what today’s travelers seek. It’s no longer just enough to operate a hotel with modern, clean rooms and a good restaurant. Today’s consumers expect MUCH more. Savvy marketers need to create and promote amenities which are ahead of the curve for what people seek. It is our aim at JC Communications to help you learn the latest trends in travel behaviors so you can adapt them, adopt them, promote them, and, most importantly of all, DRIVE REVENUE. For assistance on promoting your business to the media leveraging what is trending in pop culture, learn more here.