Uncharted 2019: New experiences disrupting travel
April 30, 2019
April 30, 2019
Travel has always been a collection of experiences, but disruptors inside and outside the industry like Uber, Airbnb, Amazon and Apple have raised the stakes: Travelers now demand experiences that are authentic, co-created and immediate. How do you proceed? By ditching the map and discovering new ways of thinking and doing.
Stop following the path—and forge your own.
01. Pushing boundaries: Expanding online and extending digital to physical
Traditional boundaries are changing. In addition to selling their own wares online, travel brands will increasingly bring third-party products to the table. Beyond the online offering, this shift will also transform the in-destination experience. But first, brands must revisit their technology architectures.
02. Content jetlag: Consumers need a vacation from vacation planning
As technology progresses, so will the overwhelming number of travel channels, formats and choices. To reach weary travelers seeking a respite from the noise, brands need to sharpen the who, what, where, when and why of their messaging. Precision will be the answer to oversaturation.
03. Travel gets to work: B2B's new DNA
A revolution in how, when and where people work is reinventing business travel. The 9-to-5 no longer has a time zone, and corporate travelers, booking agents and event planners are demanding the same streamlined, customer-centric experiences they get as leisure travelers. Now’s the time to rethink your B2B value proposition.
04. Shifting tides of loyalty: The rewards of trust
Patterns among travel industry data breaches reveal cyber criminals are seizing on loyalty data as loot. To lock in future revenue, brands need to lock up this treasure trove of personal information. The urgent need for security will trigger a major change, ending the era of evolving rewards and redefining how the industry thinks about loyalty—its most precious asset.
Get a glimpse at several other important changes on the horizon:
People are seeking ethical travel with firms that are transparent and conscious about social impact.
Beyond spas and retreats, travelers are looking for brands that embrace wellness as a core value.
Transit innovations are making people rethink the concept of distance, affordability and travel itself.