Five Trends That Will Define Group Travel in the Future

Group travel is quite common across the world, in addition to being one of the most vital segments of the tourism and travel industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it inevitably took a massive hit as everyone got confined to their homes. In 2022, group travel is predicted to rise in popularity again, but strict policies relating to safety and hygiene can be expected to remain in many places.

Group travel trips can be of different types, including sports excursions like important sporting events or games, leisure vacations, business trips such as conventions & corporate meetings, and educational trips.

Want to make sure that your hospitality business is ready to handle all the group travel trends that the future holds? We have curated a list of the 5 most important ones:

1. Multigenerational Trips Are Rising In Popularity

Be it road trips, destination vacations, or international tours, it has become more common for generations of families to travel together.

According to Zicasso, bookings for more than 5 individuals together went up 57% from 2019 to 2022.

The main reason behind this is the fact that the pandemic kept families apart for a very long period of time. This has made people realize the importance of spending quality time together. Hence, families are now looking forward to reuniting and making special memories with their loved ones!

2. Business Conventions Are Making A Huge Comeback

The Wave X study conducted by MMGY Global in December 2020 stated that 38% of people might start traveling for business purposes in the first 6 months of 2021. Fast forward to 2022, and business conventions are back with a bang! Also, the new trend of ‘bleisure’ where business travelers combine business trips with leisure activities is becoming popular too. Therefore, make sure that your hospitality marketing efforts are designed to grab the attention of business travel groups as well.

Get in touch with business travelers before their trip and share various popular leisure activity options that they can indulge in post their work hours. Consider investing in a good hotel management software such as the Stayfull™ Channel Manager to advertise your offerings on the most popular GDS platforms.

3. Sustainable Tourism Will Gain Prominence

After the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 held in Glasgow, nations have been advised to implement suitable measures in tourism to combat the threats that the global climate currently faces. International travelers are now keen on making conscious choices and are expected to opt for sustainable travel options in 2022.

Using an efficient hotel booking software like the WebBook Booking Engine can help make the necessary changes in your online promotions to promote sustainable tourism.

4. Millennials Are Opting For Interest-Based Travel Groups

A large number of millennials are single travelers who particularly want to be with a group of individuals that share similar interests. For example, travelers with a penchant for outdoor activities like kayaking, biking, and hiking are seeking the help of travel agents and booking their trips with such interest-based travel groups.

A report from TravelPort suggests that 65% of people trust professional advisors to help them find the latest travel information. Hence, the hospitality industry must not only provide suitable options reflecting this popular trend but also ensure that they are marketed well to attract millennials.

5. Be Prepared To Re-book Departures

Lastly, according to a survey published by Destination Analysts, it was found that travelers who felt cautious, unsafe, and scared during the start of the pandemic in 2020 were hopeful and excited about traveling once again in 2021, and 2022. Some tour operators even had to rebook departures for 2020 way later in 2021.

Taking this and the uncertainty of the future into consideration, ensure that you are well-equipped to be able to re-book departures smoothly. A hotel management system like InnQuest’s Cloud PMS is known to manage cancellations and re-bookings seamlessly.

Wrapping up

Want to ensure an amazing experience for your guests? Whether you wish to attract more guests, turn them into loyal clients or enhance your profits, InnQuest’s intuitive hotel management software solutions can help you deliver professionalism and value.

Digital Marketer & Content writer at Innquest.