Prepare your luggage because travel is back!

Did you travel this year? How were your trips? How long in advance did you plan them? Are you finding some differences vs. trips you took before the pandemic? Well, I did. Prices are higher, airports are fuller, flights are completely booked, VIP lounges are at capacity, and tourist attractions are sold out. I had a friend who couldn’t take a picture in the Trevi Fountain in July because she couldn’t walk to it. You get the picture, right? Is this stopping us from travelling? Not at all, travel is back and intention to travel continues the rise. Below the top emerging trends among travelers based on our latest Visa Global Travel Intentions Study.

Emerging travel trends & future intentions

Democratization of travel: Travelers have more tools and resources to plan travel than ever before. Travel planning and booking has increasingly gone digital in recent years, with ongoing advances in generative AI adding an exciting new itinerary-planning tool to travelers’ toolkit.

Additionally, online transacting for everything from plane tickets to popsicles became more common during the pandemic, with more consumers finding a growing level of confidence and comfort with buying even big-ticket items online. Travelers can now research, plan, and book the elements of a trip more efficiently and independently.

Combining business and leisure travel: With many professionals working remotely and enjoying more flexible work arrangements, travelers are increasingly combining business and work travel. Many business travelers are adding on extra days in a destination to see the sights while working full or partial days from their accommodations. Those traveling for leisure can now more often extend their trips by working remotely on some days while at their destination. This is opening up new opportunities for how, when, and how long to travel. 

Media-inspired destinations: Social media, movies, television, and music stars have become influencers inspiring travelers to pursue their next destination. The industry term for travel prompted by media is “set-jetting”—as in, jet-setting inspired by a TV or movie set. But the phenomenon goes beyond traditional media.

Click here to learn more about travel planning, habits, destinations, and segments.