‘WORD OF THE YEAR’: Spontaneity and other 2021 travel trends

Answer: “Spontaneity.” Question: What is 2021’s travel word of the year? This according to Hotels.com, which surveyed global users to help ascertain travel trends for the year ahead.

Indeed, with the prospects of travel utterly uncertain amidst surging COVID rates, lockdowns, ever-evolving testing and quarantine protocols, and travel bans, the online booking company says 89% of travellers taking part in its “The 2021 Upgrade” poll will be more impulsive than ever, following 2020’s cancelled trips, boredom, and all-round “year of nothing.”

Moreover, this new “new lust for spontaneity” will have a ripple effect on the hotel and travel industries, says the company.

Among the takeaways from the survey:

• 32% are dubbing 2020 the “’lost year” for travel prompting more than a third (35%) to be more likely to drop everything to vacation if they can in 2021. 29% claim they’d be ready to drop it all and leave the same day if given the opportunity.

• All rules are out the window with one in five (26%) saying they would take off on a long-haul trip for just a few days or make no plans for the trip in favour of being spontaneous when they arrive (25%).

• Compared to pre-pandemic times, over a quarter (26%) would now book a better hotel room, and nearly a quarter would spontaneously say yes to a room upgrade if offered when booking (24%). A further 17% are ready to book a five-star hotel for their 2021 getaways.

• Hotel stays in 2021 it will be all about upgrading the experience. When asked what new experiences they would say ‘yes’ to, around one in five (20%) would splurge on a spa treatment, uber-luxe hotel restaurant (20%), or a fancy cocktail in the hotel’s bar (24%).

• Travellers will also be finding ways to “seize the stay” as much as they can, with nearly one in five stating they would spontaneously book a fancy hotel for a staycation for the weekend (24%) or take advantage of a mid-week deal in their local trendy hotel (23%).

• The research also revealed the lengths that many will go to for a vacation and a hotel stay in 2021, with travellers admitting they would forgo all the cleaning in their house (29%), give up sweets (24%), not leave their house (23%), avoid social media apps (17%), and even abstain from sex (16%), for a month.

• With spontaneity comes packing pressure. Most would go nowhere without their digital lifelines, with over half (55%) prioritizing their phone, laptop, and charger – beating out a change of clothes (46%), a swimsuit (29%), and sleepwear (30%).

“2020 was the year of staying home, postponing trips, and posting old vacation pictures on social media. This year, travellers are ready to seize the stay when travel returns and they feel comfortable to take the trips they missed out on,” says Josh Belkin, VP, Global brand Hotels.com.

“We saw that when travel restrictions eased for many in July and August 2020, over half of bookings were made three days or less ahead of their stay, compared to 40% in 2019,” he adds. “People are ready to channel their inner spontaneous self, dropping everything at the last minute to get away and enjoy the best that hotel life has to offer.”