#Trending This Week - Road Trips, Bachelorette Parties, Influencers May Be Out, Vitamin T, and Instagrammable Hotels
Issue 240 • April 1, 2025
As we arrive into the second quarter of 2025 already — no fooling! — we are already seeing some significant travel shifts for the year. Check them all out in our three-minute read below.
The Year Of The Road Trip
Experts are predicting 2025 will be The Year of the Road Trip. While everyone drove or traveled via rail during COVID — but then couldn’t wait to journey far and wide once lockdowns were over — the pendulum is swinging back as economic and safety concerns are driving people to hit the road once again. Road trips give travelers a level of freedom and privacy rarely seen outside of private jets and chartered yachts and offer a sense of nostalgia for slowing down to spend more time enjoying the journey versus the destination. Read more in House Beautiful here.
Bachelorette Parties Closer To Home
Many hotels and resorts thrive on bachelor and bachelorette getaway weekends. But as the destinations get farther flung, many bridal parties are finding the bachelorette weekend is becoming very stressful, quite costly, a chore to plan, and everyone ends up dreading it. As a result, the parties have shifted to becoming more local or within driving distance with more creative activities extending beyond drinking. Learn more at CBS News here.
A Shift From Influencers To Customers
There is an interesting movement brewing as brands are seeing consumer backlash from extravagant influencer trips. According to one brand executive (not in the travel and hospitality space), the goal is to now focus on consumers over influencers. “We decided to redirect the budget and create this unforgettable experience for people who’ve supported us the most over the years.” Could this trend be coming soon to the travel industry as well? Read more in Marketing Brew here.
Travelers Seek “Vitamin T”
Consumers are now viewing travel as an essential ingredient for a longer lifespan and, as such, are seeking “Vitamin T”: the T standing for travel. This is a concept which represents people vacationing for wellness experiences in hopes of extending their lifespans. People are not just booking vacations anymore. They are investing in their well-being as their next wellness getaway could be the most age-defying treatment available. Read more in Fox News here.
Instagrammable Hotel Design
Luxury hoteliers take note! A few facts you want to keep in mind: 80% of high-end travelers are under 60, with peak travel spending occurring among those aged 40 to 60. This shift highlights the growing need for luxury hotels to cater to families, particularly those with teenage children. Consider your teen and tween guests as micro-influencers for your hotel brand. If you give them a space that’s “aesthetic,” as they like to say, they will most certainly post it. Your spaces should focus on design vignettes and moments within the guest experience that call for a photo capture. Read more at Hotels here.
STRATEGIC CONTENT DIRECTION
Do you have an overall content strategy for your brand or are you just churning out emails, social media captions, blogs, etc. without any specific plan in mind?
All too often, those tasked with the marketing responsibility hire agencies that work in silos. The social media agency has one strategy they are focused on. The secretary or sales manager tasked with email marketing just wants to get the next email off her desk so she throws something together and hits send.
As a result you end up with gaps in messaging, inconsistent positioning, missed opportunities to tell your story, an inability to create relationship with your customer, and a fixation on selling them to make a quick booking which ultimately results in a lost sale.
JC Communications can help you create a content roadmap for all of your target customer touchpoints so the messaging delivered is consistent, impactful, and on brand. For more information, reach out to Jane Coloccia at Jane@JCCommunicationsllc.com.