5 Upcoming Travel Trends Pushed by UX Innovation

Today, talk of travel seems like it can be heard at every turn. Whether you’re an active media viewer or just a nightly news watcher, it’s downright hard to miss. And if you thought the travel boom had already come and passed this summer, we’re telling you to brace yourself: That was only the beginning! Not only are travelers going out of their way to make their dream vacations come to fruition, but the corporations behind travel are stepping up their game alongside them, competing with passengers in their efforts to make travel happen.

After a year of stunted tourism, the industry is on a major comeback and has substantial plans to hit new benchmarks with adapted processes for passengers and an emphasis on one thing: Ease. People want to take trips, and they want to do so seamlessly and without stress. And with us being in the midst of autumn, the travel bubble of the holiday seasons is swelling to pop!

Below we’ve listed upcoming travel trends that might just change how you book your next journey, or may even convince you to reconsider your nonexistent travel plans this upcoming year.

Image: Briana Tozour, Unsplash

1. More inclusive passenger experience

We’re so far past the time where Instagram-friendly airports were the next big thing. Travelers now demand more than just aesthetic lounges to snap photos. Instead, architects are focusing on passenger-specific design solutions and asking themselves, ‘How do different types of travelers have different needs?’ At the top of the list are work-friendly business zones, children entertainment spaces, and even meditation spaces to really insinuate a stress-free airport commute experience.

Even further, after a significant time at home, passengers are also looking to get the fullest vacation experience and architects are looking for means to comply with new immersive cultural experiences within the intermission of airport travel. From the moment passengers are waiting to board their flight to leaving their resort, architects aim to incorporate local cultural references and themes within the travel experience.

Another trend to look forward to is contactless and efficient security and TSA processes. These long-winded processes are necessary but often leave passengers feeling exasperated, motivating designers to look for new airport formatting solutions to balance leisure activities and essential security measures within the boarding experience. With the uptick of digital devices, it will be possible to utilize touch-free processes through new tech adaptations at check-in, security, and other airport operations.

2. More personalized and seamless journeys

Travel technology personalization is without competition in how influential it is to improve the passenger journey. With AI and mobile applications upping the ante in how passengers take their trips, digitally personalized technology is transitioning the travel world from one full of hindrances to a seamless experience. But how will these advancements make their way into our new travel routine, specifically in air travel?

To start, new applications and AI tech look to recognize commuters as individuals, using personal data, QR codes, self-service options, and other means to identify passengers and their specific needs, with the goal of smoothing out the journey process for a large amount of people. At the moment, however, the industry is looking to make cost-effective adaptations rather than experimental splurging. This means that we may have to wait on the big innovations of the future, such as facial recognition in airport travel.

3. Plan B: Trip stacking

After a year of cancelations and rescheduling, passengers have had enough. Now they’re taking up an extra step and adding extra risk when planning their next vacation, a phenomenon known as trip stacking. While people traditionally book their travel plans one trip at a time, trip stacking is a trend that consists of people booking their larger or more ambitious travel plans while simultaneously booking a smaller, more accessible trip as a backup plan (that is less likely to face cancelations or other travel difficulties). After several months at home – and possibly more money in the bank – some travelers are okay putting more into the spending or their trips.

However, customers with extra money aren’t just spending it without a push or motivation. Travel companies such as Expedia, Airbnb, and Iberia have made bookings more affordable, have updated policies, created digital services and incentives, initiated price freezes to encourage affordability, and created space for booking leniencies to make double booking your next relaxation destination a more digestible splurge.

4. Collective corporate travel

Only a couple steps behind recreational traveling, business travel is taking off with the return of industry events and fierce competition in the near corporate future. With communities around the world making improvements in public health and prioritizing travel safety, we’re seeing a return to ‘group travel’, or the commute of collectives to reach a common event or location.

Many public events now offer both in-person and digitally-adapted online options for participation and attendance. However, with employees and workers itching to travel and revitalize the working world back to an era of interpersonal communication, networking, and exciting industry events, new travel opportunities are on the horizon and will be made possible with new tech improving commuter safety, enjoyment, and efficiency.

5. Improved airport design

Today’s architects are taking on the challenges that are ingrained within the travel aviation and airport industry, looking to smooth common travel frictions into safer, efficient, and more enjoyable experiences. Using new technology and digital advancements, these professionals are proving that you can enjoy the journey along with the destination and that we are moving past an era where travel needs to be painstaking or stressful.

So, what is changing and upcoming? Well, with comfort and ease, safety, and eco-friendly practices front and center in new airport designs, we can look forward to contactless and personalized digital process, the incorporation of new usable spaces beyond commercial zones or security, and design strategy to encourage sustainable energy usage.

Image: Annie Spratt, Unsplash

What else is next?

While travel continues its transition into a new innovative and progressive model, don’t expect the industry to slow down any time soon! There’s much more to come in the following months, and we believe the sector will be slow to deviate from its rapidly developing pace. Innovative technology is burrowing deep roots into the passenger journey experience in travel and hospitality, and where new solutions are discovered, more will follow and will reshape the way we travel.

References:

• Caputo, Peter, et al. 2 August 2021. “Return to a World Transformed”. Deloitte. Online. Accessed November 24, 2021.
• Fox, Lisa. 4 August 2020 “Touchless Tech: Airports and Airlines Take Steady Steps to Restore Confidence in Flying”. PhocusWire. Online. Accessed November 24, 2021.

Header Image: CardMapr, Unsplash