#Trending This Week - Non-Traditional Accommodations, Small Group Tours, Luxury Travel, Splurgecations, And Holiday Predictions
Issue 227 • December 17, 2024
This will be our last trend check-in until 2025, so let’s get right to it. There’s big news in hospitality as a MAJOR HOTEL BRAND BUYS A NON-TRADITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS operator, spelling out a shift in how consumers want to stay. This HOLIDAY SEASON IS EXPECTED TO SEE RECORD BREAKING TRAVEL according to all indicators. LUXURY TRAVEL IS GOING TO SEE A BIG SHIFT as a new generation inheriting wealth from Baby Boomers is going to have more to spend on experiences. There’s yet another term in our industry called the SPLURGECATION, WHERE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SPEND MORE TO TRULY ENJOY VACATION. And finally SMALL GROUP TOURS ARE PROVING TO BE BIG as a result of the pandemic when people were not inclined to travel on motorcoaches in large groups. We also have our own travel prediction based upon our daily watch of the travel industry. Check it all out in our three-minute read below.
Note: We’ll be taking a holiday break and our next issue will publish on January 7, 2025.
Non-Traditional Accommodations Continue To Grow
We have seen growth in the non-traditional accommodation sector over the years — perhaps never more more significant than during COVID. And the interesting thing about this is consumers still want an out-of-the-ordinary stay even now that life has returned to normal. People WANT to be outside, closer to nature, or just sleeping someplace that is not in a high-rise building tucked away from the destination they are visiting. Thus glamping, cabins, camping, and travels by RV are indeed trending. This is perhaps most evident in the fact that Marriott recently made an investment in the outdoor segment. Read more in Travel + Leisure here.
A Record-Breaking Holiday Travel Season
AAA is once again predicting record-breaking travel — this time for the upcoming holiday season. From Saturday, December 21, to Wednesday, January 1, AAA projects 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more away from home. This total narrowly beats 2019's number by 64,000 travelers. It also marks an increase of 3 million holiday travelers compared to last year. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
A New Generation Shaping Luxury Travel
According to experts, the greatest transfer of wealth in known history is underway as Baby Boomers are about to leave behind $72 trillion. This wealth is expected to flow to younger generations who have already demonstrated a clear preference for spending on luxury experiences over material goods. It's all about valuing experiences over stuff as young people suddenly feel they can pay a premium to travel. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
Enter The “Splurgecation”
There’s a new travel term: the Splurgecation. According to the folks at RV Share who recently released their 2025 Trend Report, if there’s ever a time to really “live a little,” it’s on vacation. Whether it’s indulging in epicurean adventures or once–in–a–lifetime experiences, Americans are reveling in the idea travel isn’t always just about the destination. A reported 75% of travelers are likely to splurge on travel in 2025 for various reasons. Read more and download the report on RV Share here.
Small Group Tours Are Big Business
Small group tours are proving to be a big hit for tour operators. Since the pandemic, travelers have opted for small groups, preferring to leave the big motorcoaches and punishing itineraries behind in favor of intimate travel, greater free time, and more personalized experiences. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
A JC Communications Travel Prediction
At JC Communications, we spend our days closely monitoring what is going on in travel and by all indicators we strongly believe this holiday season is going to be one where people are spending less money on gifts under the Christmas tree (or Hanukkah Bush) and more on travel and experiences. Venturing out of the ordinary on safari or to a destination rich in culture and activities is proving to be much more valuable to share as a group (family, multiple generations, friends, etc.) than the latest toy, sweater, diamond earrings, or electronic games which will be quickly forgotten by the time January or February roll around. But a travel experience shared together — that is going to provide a lifetime of treasured memories. Just watch….