How, why we will travel by 2030: Study

More than 1.8 billion people will travel internationally by 2030 every year, with radically different motivations and behaviours, said a newly-released study.

Some will purchase and consume travel experiences almost entirely on the basis of how shareable they are, or how much ‘social capital’ they generate online via social networks. Another group will emerge with a desire for only the most hedonistic, indulgent and must-have experiences. At the same time, another group will demand total simplicity and freedom from having to arrange their own travel, wanting as much as possible to be done remotely by third parties, said ‘Future Traveller Tribes: Understanding tomorrow’s traveller’ report released by Amadeus, a technology firm providing services to the global travel industry.

The use of a psychographic approach coupled with Future Foundation’s proprietary consumer research forecasts, identified the six distinct travel personalities as:

•        Social Capital Seekers will have a blurred boundary between their real and virtual lives, and will structure their holidays almost exclusively with online audiences in mind. They will rely heavily on peer reviews and recommendations to validate their decisions, and will use social media platforms to review their experiences

•        Cultural Purists will look at holidaymaking as a chance to immerse oneself in an alien culture, where enjoyment of the break depends on the authenticity of the experience. They will prefer to follow their gut-feeling upon arrival, rather than pre-plan their trip

•        Ethical Travellers will make travel plans based on moral grounds, for example decreasing their carbon footprint or improving the lives of others. They will often improvise or add some element of volunteering, community development or eco-sustainability to their holidays

•        Simplicity Searchers will prefer bundled offers, seeking to avoid managing too many trip details themselves. Holidays for this tribe represent a rare time in life to pamper oneself with the assur-ance of their safety and enjoyment

•        Obligation Meeters will be driven by a specific purpose for travel, whether business or leisure, and thus have constraints on time and budget; they will seek smart algorithm based technology that is able to remove the hassle of travel

•        Reward Hunters are only interested in indulgent travel. Many have come to crave something that represents an extraordinary reward or ‘must have’ premium experience, a return on their hard earned investment of time and energy in their working lives

Antoine Medawar, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, Amadeus said: “The world today is a very complex place, and the global travel industry has come very far in terms of innovation, cost and choice for travellers. Yet, as we look forward to 2030, it is clear that this rapid evolution will accelerate. Understanding the values, priorities and resulting needs of the emerging ‘traveller tribes’ is vital for the travel industry to ensure the right investments are made now, and the increasing demand for greater personalisation is met across the entire travel chain.”

Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Head of Commercial Strategy and Business Management, Amadeus, said: “The research shows that the way travellers buy and engage with the industry is set to change as they demand new types of experiences. The six distinct tribes identified in the report enable players in the industry to consider their investment decisions to gear for future traveller preferences, develop new offerings for the emerging segments, and adjust planning to factor in the behavioural and psychometric groupings of travellers.”

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