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Issue 4: Travel trends ready for take-off in 2023
Emily Weiss at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

A NOTE FROM EMILY

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 2022

The next year in travel:
Adapt to the brave new world

With 2022 coming to an end, there’s no denying how much travel has changed. Yes, most companies had an excellent year, with demand resurging just like we had hoped, and many of our clients are returning to growth.

But no, this doesn’t mean we’ll return to “business as usual.” The industry is different after the pandemic – and it continues to change. It’s a brave new world out there, and we all have to adapt to it.

To thrive in this new environment, travel companies will have to find ways to combine bold ideas with prudent planning to seize opportunities, rebuild travelers’ loyalty, and find growth in the face of uncertainty. It will require a new mindset, the willingness to act, and the ability to move quickly when necessary.

Let’s build all three together.

This new issue of The Guide contains our current ideas, insights, and best practices for getting started – I hope you’ll find them helpful in reimagining your business’s role within the new travel landscape.

Where will the future take you?

Global Travel Industry Sector Lead, Accenture

Emily Weiss at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

The next year in travel:
Adapt to the brave new world

A NOTE FROM EMILY
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 2022

With 2022 coming to an end, there’s no denying how much travel has changed. Yes, most companies had an excellent year, with demand resurging just like we had hoped, and many of our clients are returning to growth.

But no, this doesn’t mean we’ll return to “business as usual.” The industry is different after the pandemic – and it continues to change. It’s a brave new world out there, and we all have to adapt to it.

To thrive in this new environment, travel companies will have to find ways to combine bold ideas with prudent planning to seize opportunities, rebuild travelers’ loyalty, and find growth in the face of uncertainty. It will require a new mindset, the willingness to act, and the ability to move quickly when necessary.

Let’s build all three together.

This new issue of The Guide contains our current ideas, insights, and best practices for getting started – I hope you’ll find them helpful in reimagining your business’s role within the new travel landscape.

Where will the future take you?

EMILY WEISS

Global Travel Industry Sector Lead, Accenture

Travel leader
spotlight
Klaas van Lookeren Campagne
Chief Executive Officer, citizenM

Improving experiences:
How can travel companies innovate to accelerate growth?

As travel continues its return to growth, new segments, booking patterns, and traveler expectations emerge. How can companies respond and improve, add to, or even reinvent their services?

citizenM CEO, Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, has some answers and shares them in this interview, which explores the philosophy and strategy behind their young, innovative 21-boutique hotel brand.

Listen to hear Klaas speak about how citizenM focuses on guests, empowers staff, and leverages digital technologies like apps and the metaverse to make guest experiences frictionless, relaxing, and sustainable.

Travel leader spotlight
Klaas van Lookeren Campagne
Chief Executive Officer, citizenM

Improving experiences:
How can travel companies innovate to accelerate growth?

As travel continues its return to growth, new segments, booking patterns, and traveler expectations emerge. How can companies respond and improve, add to, or even reinvent their services?

citizenM CEO, Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, has some answers and shares them in this interview, which explores the philosophy and strategy behind their young, innovative 21-boutique hotel brand.

Listen to hear Klaas speak about how citizenM focuses on guests, empowers staff, and leverages digital technologies like apps and the metaverse to make guest experiences frictionless, relaxing, and sustainable.

Embracing change
The future favors the bold

The new, post-pandemic world of travel is full of hard-to-predict change and opportunity. A new Accenture report shows how you can cope.

“Adaptability” is quickly becoming a critical strength in travel. So how can industry players build theirs? Our new report reveals which actions travel companies can take to increase their “readiness factor.”

The new imperatives of travel:

“The New Traveler”: The pandemic changed travelers’ preferences and created new expectations for seamless end-to-end travel experiences.

“Weight of the World”: New social, economic, and geopolitical influences continue to impact travel. How can you react?

“Readiness Factor”: In this brave new world, travel companies who remain agile will be positioned for growth.

READ THE FULL REPORT
Exotic hotel under water, woman with smartphone

Embracing change
The future favors the bold

The new, post-pandemic world of travel is full of hard-to-predict change and opportunity. A new Accenture report shows how you can cope.

Exotic hotel under water, woman with smartphone

“Adaptability” is quickly becoming a critical strength in travel. So how can industry players build theirs? Our new report reveals which actions travel companies can take to increase their “readiness factor.”

The new imperatives of travel:

“The New Traveler”: The pandemic changed travelers’ preferences and created new expectations for seamless end-to-end travel experiences.

“Weight of the World”: New social, economic, and geopolitical influences continue to impact travel. How can you react?

“Readiness Factor”: In this brave new world, travel companies who remain agile will be positioned for growth.

READ THE FULL REPORT
Transparent bubble tent at glamping, Lush forest around and interior, Woman with a cup looking outside, drone view

Rewarding today’s travelers

The travel industry has long been the gold standard in loyalty programs. Our new report provides executives with practical insights on how to break the mold on loyalty programs designed for yesterday’s travelers and focus on new ways of enhancing the future guest experience.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Old-fashioned loyalty programs are no match for the ever-changing expectations of a brave new travel world, which is why IHG set out to build something more modern and flexible. IHG reinvented its entire loyalty experience and capabilities to bring personalized, data-driven experiences to life. With Accenture’s help, their totally reinvented IHG One Rewards mobile app enables a much more seamless loyalty experience that’s easily customizable and in sync with guests’ preferences.

READ THE FULL CASE STUDY

Rewarding today’s travelers

Transparent bubble tent at glamping, Lush forest around and interior, Woman with a cup looking outside, drone view

The travel industry has long been the gold standard in loyalty programs. Our new report provides executives with practical insights on how to break the mold on loyalty programs designed for yesterday’s travelers and focus on new ways of enhancing the future guest experience.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Old-fashioned loyalty programs are no match for the ever-changing expectations of a brave new travel world, which is why IHG set out to build something more modern and flexible. IHG reinvented its entire loyalty experience and capabilities to bring personalized, data-driven experiences to life. With Accenture’s help, their totally reinvented IHG One Rewards mobile app enables a much more seamless loyalty experience that’s easily customizable and in sync with guests’ preferences.

READ THE FULL CASE STUDY
Woman on car drinking tea, View on mountains

Inside travel’s pursuit of AI maturity

Data and AI are at the heart of the industry’s continued recovery. From capturing demand and enhancing experiences to improving revenue management and powering intelligent operations, AI can unlock an exciting future for travel players. And for travelers. Yet our research reveals that most travel companies aren’t taking full advantage of AI. What’s holding them back? And how can they make the most of everything AI has to offer?

READ THE FULL REPORT
Woman on car drinking tea, View on mountains

Inside travel’s pursuit of AI maturity

Data and AI are at the heart of the industry’s continued recovery. From capturing demand and enhancing experiences to improving revenue management and powering intelligent operations, AI can unlock an exciting future for travel players. And for travelers. Yet our research reveals that most travel companies aren’t taking full advantage of AI. What’s holding them back? And how can they make the most of everything AI has to offer?

READ THE FULL REPORT

Tech trends ready for takeoff
Traveling between the worlds in the metaverse

The digitalization of travel continues – and creates new ways of doing business for industry players to explore. Our new Accenture Technology Vision highlights the most important ones:

bullet 1

WebMe

The internet is being reimagined as the metaverse, and Web3 efforts transform the underpinning and operation of the virtual world.

bullet 2

The Programmable World

Control, customization, and automation are being integrated into the world around us, making the physical as programmable as the digital.

bullet 3

The Unreal

As AI-generated data and synthetic content convincingly mimic what is “real,” authenticity is the new North Star.

bullet 4

Computing the Impossible

A new generation of computers is solving some of the world’s most intractable problems, leading to one of the biggest technological disruptions of our time.

Woman on car with smartphone, Car camping
Get the
full report

Tech trends ready for takeoff
Traveling between the worlds in the metaverse

The digitalization of travel continues – and creates new ways of doing business for industry players to explore. Our new Accenture Technology Vision highlights the most important ones:

bullet 1

WebMe

The internet is being reimagined as the metaverse, and Web3 efforts transform the underpinning and operation of the virtual world.

bullet 2

The Programmable World

Control, customization and automation are being integrated into the world around us, making the physical as programmable as the digital.

bullet 3

The Unreal

As AI-generated data and synthetic content convincingly mimic what is “real,” authenticity is the new North Star.

bullet 4

Computing the Impossible

A new generation of computers is solving some of the world’s most intractable problems, leading to one of the biggest technological disruptions of our time.

Woman on car with smartphone, Car camping
Get the
full report
Broccoli on ice cone

Travel’s next change
The shift to “life centricity”

“Global instability isn’t going away. So as consumers work to navigate it, businesses must embrace a life centric approach that helps them meet customers’ ever-changing circumstances and priorities.”

Baiju Shah
Chief Strategy Officer,
Accenture Song

When the world feels out of control, human behavior can become complicated ... and customer expectations confusing. Accenture’s new report “The human paradox” explains why businesses must broaden their perspective and start shifting their strategies from “customer centric” to “life centric.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

72% of consumers say external factors such as inflation, social movements, and climate change are impacting their lives more than in the past.

60% of consumers say their priorities keep changing as a result of everything going on in the world.

Broccoli on ice cone

Travel’s next change
The shift to “life centricity”

“Global instability isn’t going away. So as consumers work to navigate it, businesses must embrace a life centric approach that helps them meet customers’ ever-changing circumstances and priorities.”

Baiju Shah

Chief Strategy Officer
Accenture Song

When the world feels out of control, human behavior can become complicated ... and customer expectations confusing. Accenture’s new report “The human paradox” explains why businesses must broaden their perspective and start shifting their strategies from “customer centric” to “life centric.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

72% of consumers say external factors such as inflation, social movements, and climate change are impacting their lives more than in the past.

60% of consumers say their priorities keep changing as a result of everything going on in the world.

Thought starters
Read these before you venture out into the brave new world of travel

More sustainable forms of mobility are critical to travel’s future success. Read here how airlines and rail companies could pave the way towards it by embracing “intermodality.”

READ THE FULL POST

Border agencies are preparing for the future of travel, too – and many are doing so by embracing the three trends of “frictionless” borders, a shift “from trust to truth” and “virtual frontiers.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

Read our report to find out why 5G is about so much more than just speed – and how it’ll help to make airports, hotels, and homes smarter while also enabling more intelligent maintenance.

READ THE FULL POST

New research from Accenture shows: leading companies are fully integrating their digital and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategies to deliver up to 11 percent higher ESG rankings. Could you do the same?

READ THE FULL REPORT
Rock climber bivouacked, portaledge on an overhanging cliff

Thought Starters
Read these before you venture out into the brave new world of travel

Rock climber bivouacked, portaledge on an overhanging cliff

More sustainable forms of mobility are critical to travel’s future success. Read here how airlines and rail companies could pave the way towards it by embracing “intermodality.”

READ THE FULL POST

Border agencies are preparing for the future of travel, too – and many are doing so by embracing the three trends of “frictionless” borders, a shift “from trust to truth” and “virtual frontiers.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

Read our report to find out why 5G is about so much more than just speed – and how it’ll help to make airports, hotels, and homes smarter while also enabling more intelligent maintenance.

READ THE FULL POST

New research from Accenture shows: leading companies are fully integrating their digital and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategies to deliver up to 11 percent higher ESG rankings. Could you do the same?

READ THE FULL REPORT
Accenture gradient

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 721,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at
www.accenture.com.

Copyright © 2022 Accenture.
All rights reserved.

Accenture and its logo are registered trademarks of Accenture.

Accenture Greater Than Symbol
Accenture gradient

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 721,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at
www.accenture.com

Copyright © 2022 Accenture.
All rights reserved.

Accenture and its logo are registered trademarks of Accenture.

Accenture Greater Than Symbol