It goes without saying that the nature of COVID-19 has affected the travel and tourism industry the most. Airlines, hotels, and local modes of transit such as taxis and trains have all suffered equally at the hands of the global pandemic. Many businesses have adapted to the changes caused by the coronavirus impact, and the trends in travelling have also changed.
Not just from the business end, but plans at the traveller's end have also changed. This has affected travellers from all across the globe. As per a recently conducted study, travellers have responded as to how they changed their plans in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. This is an important learning element for those who are working in the travel and tourism sector, as understanding the evolving changes can help make better marketing decisions and in turn, gain more customers.
To truly understand the changes that have taken place, we need to understand how travellers make travelling plans in the first place. The various decisions include whom the traveller is taking along or visiting. Mainly, this could be friends, family, or romantic vacation. Other decisions include the purpose and mode of travel. 90% of travellers use online agencies to turn their full-fledged plans into action.
As the COVID-19 curve continues to flatten, travellers will be looking forward to travelling again. This means they will be ready to look up online travelling agencies. You will also find a few more changes, such as car rental is likely to increase after COVID-19 since it is equivalent to less public exposure. If you run an online travel business of any sort, the information in the infographic below will be highly helpful to better target potential customers.
Infographic by: ExpediaGroup
