Technology and innovation will be key in building traveler confidence and industry recovery in the next 12 months, according to a recent study by Amadeus, a leading provider of cutting-edge technology solutions for the travel and tourism industry.
The research is the third in a series of surveys, where Amadeus takes a regular checkpoint on traveler sentiment and concerns to help the industry rebuild travel in the most effective way. Both the Rethink Travel Survey (September 2020) and Rebuild Travel Digital Health survey (February 2021) revealed how technology can help increase traveler confidence and Amadeus revisited this question to see how traveler confidence has changed since.
According to Amadeus’ latest survey, the vast majority of travelers – 97 per cent – believe technology will increase their confidence to travel. This is up from 91 per cent in February 2021 and 84 per cent in September 2020.
When asked which technology would increase confidence to travel in the next 12 months, mobile solutions continue to be the most popular, with the top technologies including:
These are followed by apps to store digital health data on devices (39 per cent), different methods of payment (35 per cent), self-scanning luggage (35 per cent) and facial recognition technology (30 per cent).
Mobile applications and contactless technology have remained top technologies across all three studies, with the addition of automated and flexible cancellation policies in this final installment.
When asked about the receptiveness to share personal health data, the survey results show:
– 93 per cent of travelers would be willing to provide personal data for the effective use of digital health passports or certificates, a slight increase from 91 per cent in February 2021
– almost half (48 per cent) of business travelers would be willing to provide their health data to visit a conference or event, while 36 per cent of leisure travelers would be willing to provide the info for an excursion or activity at a destination.
When considering the future of travel and sustainability, the survey highlighted what solutions travelers believe might help the industry to become more sustainable long-term:
– nearly half (46 per cent) of travelers said greater availability of green modes of transport, e.g., electric planes or trains
– a similar percentage (44 per cent) believe making sustainable travel more cost effective would be beneficial
– 41 per cent say transparency around travel companies’ sustainability policies would help.
Although receptiveness to travel in the next year is high, the travel industry needs to consider how to respond to changing traveler concerns as the travel environment continues to adapt.
The three main concerns travelers have are:
– Fears of catching COVID-19 while traveling (41 per cent)
– Self-isolation or quarantine before and after travel (41 per cent)
– Changing restrictions resulting in last minute cancellations (37 per cent).
In comparison to the previous studies, fears of catching the virus maintain a top concern for travelers, alongside self-isolation, or quarantine.
The survey was conducted among 9,074 consumers across France, Germany, India, Spain, Russia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the US.
Other key findings include:
The appetite to travel is high – Looking ahead to the next year, over three quarters (77 per cent) of travelers surveyed agree that they are eager to travel and hope to do so in the next year.
Half (50 per cent) agree that they will be traveling for business to a destination requiring a flight later this year.
The impact of travel restrictions and guidelines – Less than 2 in 5 (38 per cent) travelers surveyed agree that the current international restrictions and guidelines around where and how to travel are clear – making it easy for them to book and travel for business/ leisure.
On the contrary, 35 per cent agree that the current international restrictions and guidelines around where and how to travel are confusing and unclear – making them less likely to book and travel for business/ leisure and a further 27 per cent agree they will not be traveling internationally due to the unclear guidance around restrictions.
