World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group’s latest report A world in motion: shifting consumer travel trends in 2022 and beyond reveals a heightened appetite for sustainable tourism among consumers, with 69% of travellers actively seeking sustainable travel options.
Together with Deloitte, WTTC and Trip.com Group analyse the trends that shaped the Travel & Tourism sector last year. The report shows that sustainability is a key element of the travel agenda, with travellers eager to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable tourism.
According to a survey included in the report, 75% of travellers are considering travelling more sustainably in the future and nearly 60% have chosen more sustainable travel options in the last couple of years. Other surveys found that around 75% of high-end travellers are willing to pay extra to make their trips more sustainable, and nearly 60% of travellers said they were either already paying to offset their carbon emissions or considering it if the price was right.
There was also a 109% increase of international overnight arrivals in 2022, compared to 2021.
According to the report, last year consumers were willing to stretch their budget for their holiday plans, with 86% of travellers planning on spending the same amount or more on international travel than in 2019, with tourists from the US leading the list as big spenders.
However, 2023 is looking even better in terms of traveller spend. Despite concerns about inflation and the cost-of-living crisis around the world, 31% of travellers said they intend to spend more on international travel this year than in 2022.
Additionally, according to Deloitte’s Global State of the Consumer Tracker, more than half (53%) of global consumers surveyed during the summer last year said they plan to stay in a hotel over the following three months.
Julia Simpson, WTTC president & CEO, said: “The demand for travel is now stronger than ever and our report shows that this year we will see a significant bounce back. 2023 is set to be a very strong year for travel and tourism.
“Sustainability is top of travellers’ agenda, and consumers highlight the value they put on protecting nature and travelling responsibly.”
Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said: “The Asia-Pacific region, with its rapidly growing middle-class and dynamic economies, is well-positioned to capitalise on the growth of the industry and take its place as a leader in the global tourism economy.
“I’m optimistic about the positive momentum for the global resumption and growth of travel in 2023, primarily driven by mainland Chinese consumers, which will help accelerate worldwide recovery and development.”
Scott Rosenberger, hospitality & services sector leader, Deloitte Global Transportation, commented on the travel rebound: “Even the rise in inflation-driven financial concerns is not slowing the pace; incredibly, travel is being prioritised and flexible/remote work arrangements are creating new opportunities.”
More than 60% of Chinese travellers surveyed by Dragon Trail on the eve of China’s reopening expressed interest in traveling outside China in 2023.
While survey results indicate that recovery will pick up gradually throughout the first sixth months of the year, Dragon Trail expects a strong comeback to start from July, along with a bumper eight-day Golden Week holiday for Mid-Autumn Festival and China’s National Day (September 29 to October 6).
Sharing the results of the January 2023 Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report at a joint webinar with travel analysts ForwardKeys just before the start of the Chinese New Year holidays, researchers noted that findings are aligned with booking trends.
China’s decision to ditch its zero-Covid policy has triggered a surge in flight bookings, according to the latest data from ForwardKeys. Intra-regional neighbours in Asia will reap the benefits the most.
“Let’s go”, “waited for too long”, “feels happy”, and “enjoy the freedom” were just some of the overwhelmingly positive sentiments shared by the 60.4% of survey respondents who said they wanted to travel outside of China in 2023.
“This group expressed high expectations about the freedom of cross-border travel this year. Survey respondents said they were excited to relax, as well as to experience the scenery, food, culture, and shopping overseas,” shared Dragon Trail market research analyst Yelinuer Kadeerbieke.
Top China outbound destinations are in South-east Asia
“Forward bookings for Chinese New Year are currently 47% behind pre-pandemic levels but already 30% ahead last year,” said ForwardKeys’ analyst Nan Dai.
South-east Asian destinations are most likely to first benefit from the return of Chinese tourists. “All these destinations have relaxed rules for Chinese travellers. Arrivals from China will not be required to provide test results for Covid-19. Visa waiver to Indonesia, visa-on-arrival to Thailand, Cambodia and the UAE – all make it even easier to travel,” added Dai.
Dragon Trail’s data also points to strong recovery for Asian destinations. Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand topped the list of outbound destinations to which Chinese tourists plan to travel in 2023. Notably, Hong Kong was chosen by 20.7% of survey respondents, with 11.4% choosing Macau and 11.1% planning a trip to Thailand.
Recovery of the Chinese outbound market will pick up this summer
Despite high demand for cross-border trips, the lack of flight capacity and high fares could be the bottleneck for China’s outbound travel recovery in 1Q2023.
“Current scheduled international flight capacity in 1Q2023 is only at 21% of 2019’s level; and owing to approval requirements for traffic rights and airport slots, it will be difficult for airlines to gear back up very quickly. We can expect a more significant increase when airlines schedule for the next summer season starting from March 26,” opined Dai.
Kadeerbieke added: “Our survey results show that while recovery will start gradually in the first six months of 2023, it’s clear that outbound travel will start to pick up in the second half of the year. 42% said they would travel outbound in July and August, with 32% planning an autumn Golden Week getaway outside China.”
The outbound China market is vital in the travel food chain, so the return of the sleeping dragon in time for the Lunar New Year with promises for greater growth over the summer period will be a game changer for the travel sector in 2023.