Amadeus predicts the emergence of four future Traveler Tribes

With international tourism on the rebound, Amadeus has identified four new traveller profiles – named Traveler Tribes – that are likely to emerge and develop in the next 10 years.

Amadeus’ global research study Travel Tribes 2033 derived these profiles by taking a psychographic approach and examining the future forces of change transforming travel, alongside emerging traveller traits, behaviours and preferences, to understand what travellers will want in the future.

Amadeus profiles future traveller segments by looking at the forces forging them

These four Traveler Tribes are:

Excited experientialists
This group has a ‘try it and see’ approach to life and travel. 44 per cent are without children and have a mid- to high-income job with flexible working options, which enables them to readily explore the world. They have a you-only-live-once (YOLO) approach and are more likely to act on instinct, making them 2033s ‘anti-planners’, favouring less predictable and more exciting accommodation experiences. They are also open to technology that helps them ‘speed up’ certain aspects of their journey, with many expecting to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the airport environment.

Memory makers
This group takes a more simplified approach to travel – to make memories and visit places. 44 per cent are aged 42 and above, and are habitual in their travel behaviours. The future can be a daunting prospect for them. They put people first and place less value on technology and sustainability, reassured by existing methods. However, despite their scepticism about technology, they are excited about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) preview tours with the majority expected to use VR tours before purchasing a trip.

Travel tech-fluencers
This group includes today’s young business travellers with a forward-looking perspective on life. 48% of the group are under the age of 32 and their perspective is symbolised by how much technology they own. However, there is a discord when it comes to what excites and concerns them around the future of technology and travel. While many aim to travel sustainably, it seems they are more conscious about sustainability options around their method of travel, rather than where they will be staying.

Pioneering pathfinders
Individuals in this group live a fast-paced life, always looking for their next adventure. Their life is in full swing with 82 per cent between the ages of 23 and 41. They like to plan but are not afraid of risk and are open to new experiences. This group is more willing than others to let sustainability influence their decisions. They will also be very comfortable using all forms of alternative payment methods in 2033, whether via cryptocurrency or within a VR environment.

While these classifications provide a general overview, it is nearly impossible to pigeon-hole a traveller into one tribe, as there will always be a spectrum which a traveller would tend to fall into at any point in time.

Frédéric Barou, senior vice president, customer success management, explained during the media briefing: “Unlike other industries, our consumers are very unique. Travellers have multiple personalities when they travel, depending on whether they travel with family, on their own, and even on a business trip. Every time, the needs, expectation, and level of friction is very different. This same consumer will evolve and change throughout the journey and their lifetime.”

He added that there is also a “massive emotional side” of travel, where decisions to travel are also made based on feelings, with influence drawn from peer-to-peer reviews of a destination, and through social media.

In total, 10,345 travellers from 15 countries – Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, and the US – were surveyed. These travellers have travelled internationally once in the last year, and are likely to travel internationally over the next three years. In-depth interviews with 22 experts both from the travel industry and outside the industry were also conducted.

Karun Budhraja, senior vice president, marketing – Asia Pacific, said: “Many Asia-Pacific countries were included because this is a growth region, a superpower economy. (But Covid slowed things down), as we were the first in and last out (of the pandemic).”

When asked what will most likely shape the travel industry in the immediate future, Barou pointed to the increasing usage of biometrics to reduce friction, simplification of payments, and AI being present in the basic search activity and future trip planning.

This is the third in Amadeus’ Traveler Tribes research initiative. The first and second reports were launched in 2007 and 2015 respectively.

On the need for such a study, Budhraja commented: “Today’s traveller is moving from one place to another very quickly. For providers like airlines, travel agencies, or hoteliers, understanding their travellers is extremely important.”

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