After a year of unprecedented change in the travel industry in 2020, traveler behaviors are shifting rapidly. For tourism and hospitality businesses hit hard by the pandemic, staying ahead of these trends will be crucial, as the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine serves as a catalyst for a return to dining and leisure travel in 2021.
As the world’s largest travel platform1, Tripadvisor is in a unique position to provide the travel industry with forward-looking market insights, shedding light on the type of trips leisure travelers are planning in 2021 around the globe.
We recently analyzed the very latest traveler sentiment data across six major markets (the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Japan and Singapore), and combined that with our proprietary first party traveler search data, to track how, when and where travel behaviors are likely to change (or stay the same) in the year ahead.
1 Source: SimilarWeb, September 2020
Looking Ahead
There are some trends that emerged in 2020 that are likely to persist in 2021 and beyond. Safety and hygiene considerations will remain a big priority for travelers, and tools like Tripadvisor’s TravelSafe feature can play an important role in helping hospitality businesses showcase the steps they have taken - and are taking - to protect their customers and guests.
The popularity of nature and outdoor activity-filled trips - a trend our Tripadvisor research analysts highlighted throughout 2020 - will likely remain high on the agenda for many travelers too, as consumers seek peace and relaxation away from the crowd.
But not all of the trends we saw in 2020 will necessarily continue into the new year, and it is important that tourism operators and destinations prepare now for shifts in consumer behaviors that are likely to play out in 2021.
Here are five key trends to watch out for in 2021:
With the pandemic wreaking havoc on many people’s travel plans in 2020, it is no surprise that nearly two thirds (65%) of leisure travelers surveyed say they did not travel internationally at all in 2020. We anticipate a reversal of that behavior in 2021. Nearly half (47%) of all respondents globally say they are planning to travel internationally in 2021, with less than a third (30%) of travelers saying they don’t expect to travel internationally at all this year.
In fact, one in nine respondents (11%) have already booked an international trip for 2021, and an additional 17% say they are actively in research mode. In the United States, 13% of respondents have already booked an upcoming international trip.
While recent returns by governments to lockdowns in Europe and the United States means travelers are likely grounded through much of the first quarter, we anticipate significant recovery across the industry heading into the summer months. Already, the majority of hotel clicks on Tripadvisor for trips taking place from May onwards are to international destinations as opposed to domestic destinations (which still dominate hotel clicks for trips planned between January to April). This is an early signal that travelers are feeling increasingly confident that they will be able to travel abroad in 2021, at least in the back half of the year.
For destinations and tourism operators, the message is clear: however you choose to market your offering to travelers this year, don’t wait. Every day, more and more travelers aren’t just dreaming of their next trip abroad, they are planning and booking it.
The most eager to escape their home nations are the Germans and the Brits. In the first week of January, 85% of British or German hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were planning 2021 getaways abroad. Over the same period, just over half (53%) of all hotel clicks by U.S. travelers were to international destinations, though the proportion of international hotel clickers in markets like Australia (14%) and Japan (10%) was much lower.
The speed at which governments administer COVID-19 vaccinations will directly impact how quickly leisure travel rebounds in 2021.
Globally, more than three quarters (77%) of travelers surveyed say they will be more likely to travel internationally if they receive the vaccine, rising to 86% for travel domestically. In the U.S, more than a third of travelers (34%) surveyed say they are much more likely to take an international trip in 2021 once they have received the vaccine.
Vaccination programs won’t just impact travelers’ confidence to travel, they will have a major influence on where leisure travelers are prepared to go too.
More than a quarter (26%) of respondents globally say that in order to ensure safe travel they will only travel to destinations that require visitors to be vaccinated before travel, with Australian (32%) and U.S. (30%) travelers the most likely to expect destinations to adopt this safety measure in 2021.
Given a lot of travelers had to switch their vacation plans in 2020 from a trip abroad to a vacation closer to home, it would be easy to assume that an expected boost in international tourism might come at the expense of domestic tourism. Yet in fact, travelers still have a strong desire to travel within their own country. In the first week of January, nearly 70% of hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were booking domestic trips, while further out, May through August are still proving the most popular months for domestic vacations.
Globally, three quarters (74%) of travelers surveyed plan to take at least one overnight domestic leisure trip in 2021, with Italians (88%) the most likely to be planning a domestic trip of the six markets surveyed.
The number of trips planned also highlights the continuing popularity of domestic vacations with nearly half (45%) of respondents planning at least two domestic trips in 2021, up from 40% who took at least two domestic vacations in 2020. In the U.S, just over a third of respondents (34%) are planning at least three domestic trips this year, compared to 31% of Australians surveyed and 24% of British travelers.
For destinations and tourism businesses looking to attract a domestic audience, more than two thirds (72%) of those respondents who are planning a domestic vacation have yet to book, so there is still an opportunity for businesses to capture that demand before visitor numbers begin to rise in spring and summer.
With so many of us having been stuck at home for the majority of 2020, unable to take the vacations they had hoped or planned, that first big leisure trip of 2021 is going to carry extra significance.
Many will want to make their next vacation something special, and that is evident in how much time travelers are spending on research and planning every aspect of the trip.
Three quarters (74%) of travelers surveyed say they will spend more time choosing a destination this year; two thirds (66%) will spend more time reading reviews, 72% will spend more time selecting their accommodation, and 70% will spend more time finding things to do. Respondents in Singapore are the keenest trip planners - eight out of ten (80%) consumers surveyed there say they will spend more time choosing their next destination as a result of the pandemic.
This enthusiasm for meticulous planning also shows in how far out many travelers are already planning their 2021 trips. Looking at the traveler booking window (which is the length of time between when a trip is booked and the trip taking place) more than a fifth (22%) of all accommodation clicks on Tripadvisor in the first week of January were for trips taking place after April.
2020 saw a boom in takeout and delivery services as restaurants quickly adapted to government mandates that restricted in-person dining in many countries. “Ordering in” and dining from home - courtesy of your favorite eatery - definitely appears to be a consumer trend that will stay in place for at least the foreseeable future. While last year, takeout options replaced in-person dining for many consumers, the good news for the hospitality sector is that in 2021 a significant proportion of diners expect to do more of both.
Nearly half (47%) of respondents globally say they plan to dine in-person at restaurants more often in 2021 than they did in 2020 (if and when local restrictions allow) and a quarter of respondents (27%) say they plan to order more takeout meals this year.
Tripadvisor search data already suggests the latter trend is playing out - the volume of restaurant clickers looking for takeout services in the first week of January was already matching even pre-pandemic levels year-over-year.
Support for local businesses doesn’t just extend to restaurants either. A majority of consumers surveyed (64%) also report a desire to purchase more from local retail in 2021, and in the U.S., nearly three quarters (73%) of travelers surveyed say they now try to shop locally as a result of COVID-19.
The data cited in this report was gathered and analyzed from two key sources:
- A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of 2,330 consumers per survey, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between 12/28/20 - 1/10/21 across six countries - U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.
- Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered during the week commencing 1/4/21
Please note that while every possible effort has been made to ensure the data in this report is accurate, it is impossible to eliminate every margin of error.
This report is co-authored by Tripadvisor’s senior research analysts Shibani Walia and Val Antony.
With the pandemic wreaking havoc on many people’s travel plans in 2020, it is no surprise that nearly two thirds (65%) of leisure travelers surveyed say they did not travel internationally at all in 2020. We anticipate a reversal of that behavior in 2021. Nearly half (47%) of all respondents globally say they are planning to travel internationally in 2021, with less than a third (30%) of travelers saying they don’t expect to travel internationally at all this year.
In fact, one in nine respondents (11%) have already booked an international trip for 2021, and an additional 17% say they are actively in research mode. In the United States, 13% of respondents have already booked an upcoming international trip.
While recent returns by governments to lockdowns in Europe and the United States means travelers are likely grounded through much of the first quarter, we anticipate significant recovery across the industry heading into the summer months. Already, the majority of hotel clicks on Tripadvisor for trips taking place from May onwards are to international destinations as opposed to domestic destinations (which still dominate hotel clicks for trips planned between January to April). This is an early signal that travelers are feeling increasingly confident that they will be able to travel abroad in 2021, at least in the back half of the year.
For destinations and tourism operators, the message is clear: however you choose to market your offering to travelers this year, don’t wait. Every day, more and more travelers aren’t just dreaming of their next trip abroad, they are planning and booking it.
The most eager to escape their home nations are the Germans and the Brits. In the first week of January, 85% of British or German hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were planning 2021 getaways abroad. Over the same period, just over half (53%) of all hotel clicks by U.S. travelers were to international destinations, though the proportion of international hotel clickers in markets like Australia (14%) and Japan (10%) was much lower.
The speed at which governments administer COVID-19 vaccinations will directly impact how quickly leisure travel rebounds in 2021.
Globally, more than three quarters (77%) of travelers surveyed say they will be more likely to travel internationally if they receive the vaccine, rising to 86% for travel domestically. In the U.S, more than a third of travelers (34%) surveyed say they are much more likely to take an international trip in 2021 once they have received the vaccine.
Vaccination programs won’t just impact travelers’ confidence to travel, they will have a major influence on where leisure travelers are prepared to go too.
More than a quarter (26%) of respondents globally say that in order to ensure safe travel they will only travel to destinations that require visitors to be vaccinated before travel, with Australian (32%) and U.S. (30%) travelers the most likely to expect destinations to adopt this safety measure in 2021.
Given a lot of travelers had to switch their vacation plans in 2020 from a trip abroad to a vacation closer to home, it would be easy to assume that an expected boost in international tourism might come at the expense of domestic tourism. Yet in fact, travelers still have a strong desire to travel within their own country. In the first week of January, nearly 70% of hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were booking domestic trips, while further out, May through August are still proving the most popular months for domestic vacations.
Globally, three quarters (74%) of travelers surveyed plan to take at least one overnight domestic leisure trip in 2021, with Italians (88%) the most likely to be planning a domestic trip of the six markets surveyed.
The number of trips planned also highlights the continuing popularity of domestic vacations with nearly half (45%) of respondents planning at least two domestic trips in 2021, up from 40% who took at least two domestic vacations in 2020. In the U.S, just over a third of respondents (34%) are planning at least three domestic trips this year, compared to 31% of Australians surveyed and 24% of British travelers.
For destinations and tourism businesses looking to attract a domestic audience, more than two thirds (72%) of those respondents who are planning a domestic vacation have yet to book, so there is still an opportunity for businesses to capture that demand before visitor numbers begin to rise in spring and summer.
With so many of us having been stuck at home for the majority of 2020, unable to take the vacations they had hoped or planned, that first big leisure trip of 2021 is going to carry extra significance.
Many will want to make their next vacation something special, and that is evident in how much time travelers are spending on research and planning every aspect of the trip.
Three quarters (74%) of travelers surveyed say they will spend more time choosing a destination this year; two thirds (66%) will spend more time reading reviews, 72% will spend more time selecting their accommodation, and 70% will spend more time finding things to do. Respondents in Singapore are the keenest trip planners - eight out of ten (80%) consumers surveyed there say they will spend more time choosing their next destination as a result of the pandemic.
This enthusiasm for meticulous planning also shows in how far out many travelers are already planning their 2021 trips. Looking at the traveler booking window (which is the length of time between when a trip is booked and the trip taking place) more than a fifth (22%) of all accommodation clicks on Tripadvisor in the first week of January were for trips taking place after April.
2020 saw a boom in takeout and delivery services as restaurants quickly adapted to government mandates that restricted in-person dining in many countries. “Ordering in” and dining from home - courtesy of your favorite eatery - definitely appears to be a consumer trend that will stay in place for at least the foreseeable future. While last year, takeout options replaced in-person dining for many consumers, the good news for the hospitality sector is that in 2021 a significant proportion of diners expect to do more of both.
Nearly half (47%) of respondents globally say they plan to dine in-person at restaurants more often in 2021 than they did in 2020 (if and when local restrictions allow) and a quarter of respondents (27%) say they plan to order more takeout meals this year.
Tripadvisor search data already suggests the latter trend is playing out - the volume of restaurant clickers looking for takeout services in the first week of January was already matching even pre-pandemic levels year-over-year.
Support for local businesses doesn’t just extend to restaurants either. A majority of consumers surveyed (64%) also report a desire to purchase more from local retail in 2021, and in the U.S., nearly three quarters (73%) of travelers surveyed say they now try to shop locally as a result of COVID-19.
The data cited in this report was gathered and analyzed from two key sources:
A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of 2,330 consumers per survey, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between 12/28/20 - 1/10/21 across six countries - U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.
Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered during the week commencing 1/4/21
Please note that while every possible effort has been made to ensure the data in this report is accurate, it is impossible to eliminate every margin of error.
This report is co-authored by Tripadvisor’s senior research analysts Shibani Walia and Val Antony.
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