Skyscanner Horizons: What’s Cooking for 2024/5?
You know, reading about travel trends from Skyscanner is a bit like browsing through someone else’s holiday photos — you’re excited, slightly envious, and mostly wondering why they didn’t invite you. But hey, who says we can’t live vicariously through stats and surveys? Buckle up, folks, we’re diving into the juicy bits from Skyscanner’s latest report, Skyscanner Horizons: 2024/5 spending, planning and destination insights. Spoiler alert: it’s packed with insights that might just have you booking a one-way ticket to somewhere fabulous (after promising yourself you’ll pack lighter this time).
The Numbers Game
Skyscanner spoke to over 19,000 travel enthusiasts across 16 markets. Not quite a Big Brother production, but close enough! The report touches on everything from travel spending habits to the intricacies of planning that long-awaited getaway. And let’s face it, if 6,000 of those respondents were from the Asia-Pacific region, including hot spots like Australia and India, you can bet they’ve got some stories — and travel expenditures — to share.
Let’s cut to the chase: 80% of Asia-Pacific travellers are planning as many, if not more, escapades next year. Who knew Monday morning meetings could get this exciting? And if you’re wondering who’s winning the travel-budget battle, it’s none other than our friends from India. With their wallets wide open, they’re all but booking their next aerial adventure as we speak.
Travel Trends – A New Era of Vacations
The report identified seven delightful travel trends. Forget the usual suspects; we’ve got Sport mode, Astro Adventurers, and even Horti-Culture. Yes, you heard that correctly—people want to commune with both the stars and their houseplants! The world is changing, and apparently, gardeners are the new jet-setters.
Eating Our Way Around the World
Speaking of new trends, food emerges as the ultimate decision-maker when choosing a holiday destination. You heard it, folks—67% of Asia-Pacific travellers would consider a destination solely based on its culinary delights. It appears that if the local cuisine doesn’t have your taste buds doing the cha-cha, then what’s the point? And let’s be honest: who wants to suffer through bland fare when Croatia’s seafood paella or Thailand’s tom yum soup is just a flight away?
AI: Your New Travel Companion
Now, how’s this for a twist? Almost half of our dear travellers are turning to AI for planning help. Yes, the robots are taking over, but at least they know how to find a cheap flight! With 46% feeling confident about AI assisting their travel plans, it seems like the future is indeed now. The top uses? From researching destinations to creating itineraries – it’s like having your very own travel assistant, except with fewer emotional breakdowns.
Overtourism: A New Perspective
With travel comes the conversation on overtourism, and boy doesn’t that sound like a party pooper! Yet, a healthy 27% of Asia-Pacific respondents indicated they’d happily opt for quieter spots. Could it be that we’ve finally learned to appreciate the lesser-known charms of this big, beautiful world? Perhaps the likes of crowded world wonders can take a breather while we enjoy the delights of hidden gems instead.
Inspiration: Social Media to the Rescue
When it comes to inspiration, guess what’s at the top of the list? You guessed it—social media! A whopping 55% of Asia-Pacific folk are using their Instagram feeds as travel planners. Because why go to a place because of its culture when you can check Instagram for the perfect lunch spot? #FoodGoals, anyone? And let’s not forget about *word-of-mouth recommendations* – those are still a thing, though very much overshadowed by your mate’s Instagram stories showing off their latest holiday tan.
Headed for an Exciting 2025
As we set our sights on 2025, the report indicates thrill-seeking travellers are on the hunt for exciting, off-the-beaten-path adventures. Places like China’s Dayong and India’s Shillong are witnessing massive surges in search volume, and who wouldn’t want to explore the uncharted territories rather than joust with tourists in overcrowded cities?
In Conclusion
So, what do we take away from all this? Well, Skyscanner’s data suggests that the travel industry is gearing up for a vibrant recovery as escapist desires soar. Whether you’re planning to indulge in epic food feasts, explore lesser-known destinations, or rely on AI to make life easier, it looks like travel is making a triumphant comeback. Let’s face it: as long as we can gather stories to bore our friends with later, we are all winners! Buckle up, buttercup; it’s going to be a bumpy, fun ride in 2025!
— Your Ultimate Travel Narrator
Skyscanner has unveiled a comprehensive report titled Skyscanner Horizons: 2024/5 spending, planning and destination insights, shedding light on the evolving trends in travel. This meticulously crafted report leverages a combination of a consumer survey and proprietary search data, providing an insightful lens into how travelers are conceptualizing their journeys over the next year.
The report conducted a wide-ranging survey of 19,000 consumers across 16 diverse markets, exploring crucial indicators such as travel propensity, spending habits, preferred trip types, and the intricacies of the trip planning process. Notably, it includes 6,000 respondents hailing from the Asia-Pacific region, which encompasses countries like Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Complementing these insights, Skyscanner’s search data presents valuable information on destination preferences, average lead times for bookings, typical trip lengths, and year-on-year comparisons of search volumes.
The findings indicate a robust commitment from Asia-Pacific travelers towards travel and associated expenditures, with particularly noteworthy plans from Indian travelers, who are set to be the biggest spenders. A striking 80% of respondents in this region are gearing up for as many or even more trips in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Across the board, evolving travel behaviors reflect a strong appetite for collective experiences. This encompasses diverse activities from attending sports events and exploring immersive art installations to engaging in gaming ‘pilgrimages’ that foster community connections. The report identifies seven emerging travel trends: Sport mode, Astro Adventurers, Reset Jetters, Art-Venture, Cowboy Core, Horti-Culture, and Gami-Vacation.
Food triumphs as top factor in travel planning
Interestingly, outside of budget considerations, food emerges as the paramount factor influencing destination choices. A significant 67% of Asia-Pacific travelers contend that culinary offerings play a pivotal role when selecting a holiday destination.
Confidence in using AI for planning grows
Moreover, 46% of Asia-Pacific travelers express good confidence in utilizing AI tools to aid their travel planning and booking processes, with about 17% categorically identifying as being very confident in these digital solutions.
The top applications of AI in travel highlight its growing utility, featuring destination research (40%), itinerary creation (36%), options comparison (33%), and sourcing destination inspiration (31%).
Attitudes towards overtourism and impact
In addressing future travel preferences, over one in four (27%) Asia-Pacific travelers acknowledge a shift towards considering less touristy destinations, while 25% express intentions to positively impact the locales they visit.
Notably, South Korean travelers exhibit a pronounced interest in exploring quieter, less crowded destinations, in stark contrast to Indian travelers, who demonstrate a strong inclination to contribute positively to the places they frequent.
When discussing influential factors in their travel choices, an increasing number of travelers express a desire to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations, with 27% of Asia-Pacific respondents indicating plans to visit these less touristed locales.
Understanding destination attributes (36%) and confidence in available activities (34%) also emerge as critical factors steering decisions to explore lesser-known areas.
Top sources of travel inspiration
Social media platforms and word-of-mouth recommendations stand tall as the primary sources of travel inspiration globally. Over half of the Asia-Pacific respondents (55%) actively seek travel ideas from social media, while 45% depend on personal recommendations.
Additional influential sources include online media (42%), entertainment outlets such as films and television shows (40%), and traditional guidebooks (28%), each playing a vital role in shaping travelers’ choices.
2025 destination trends and trip lengths
Travelers are increasingly seeking inspiration through Skyscanner’s popular ‘Everywhere’ search feature, noted for its high engagement across all regions. The report highlights a preference for major cities across Asia as top destinations.
The report also identifies trending destinations in Asia-Pacific, showcasing a growing fascination with unique and lesser-known Asian locales—most notably, Dayong in China and Shillong in India, which have experienced staggering year-on-year increases in search volumes exceeding 800%.
“Our data shows that travel demand remains resilient, and travelers are adapting their itineraries as they seek out collective experiences. This blend of resilience, ingenuity, and innovation from both travelers and airlines looks set to make next year transformative for all,” noted Hugh Aitkens, vice president of strategic relations and development at Skyscanner.
“Looking ahead, we expect the market to become more active with seat sales and promotions as airlines compete for share of wallet.”
