December 9th, 2022, Hoang Nguyen
Continuing from our year in review for travel research, here are three more key trends and insights driving travel sentiment and brand affinity.
Read the first part of YouGov's travel roundup series here.
1. Air travel chaos
The surge in demand for vacations this year, coupled with airline staffing shortages and a packed schedule of flights in the summer, resulted in a high number of travel delays and flight cancellations.
One YouGov poll conducted in the US in July found that two in five air travelers who traveled in 2022 experienced a delay or cancellation. Find out more about air travel delays that happened during the summer.
The situation was not unique to just the US, either. One in two travelers in the UK also faced delays or cancellations, spelling dissatisfaction for airlines and in some cases, for airports themselves.
Data from YouGov BrandIndex—which tracks brand health and consumer perceptions toward brands—revealed that Buzz for London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester Airport and Bristol Airport dropped into negative territory during the summer months. Buzz measures whether consumers have heard something positive or negative about a brand within the last two weeks.
But with challenge comes opportunities to engage and improve the consumer experience. Our data indicates additional improvements to customer service and some innovative developments can help to offset the negative sentiment, create additional revenue streams for airports in future, and facilitate new, non-traditional business partnerships.
Discover the ways airports can better cater to travelers and serve as destinations in and of themselves.
2. The importance of sustainability in travel brand development
Travel brands and destination marketing organizations are placing more emphasis on balancing the strong demand for tourism with sustainable travel practices in order to reduce the potential negative outcomes of visitor growth and overconsumption.
Travel offers consumers a new lens on to how other people and cultures live and as travelers gain these new perspectives, many are seeking to understand travel’s effects on the environment and the destinations they visit.
A study conducted by YouGov found that 53% of global consumers said they seek sustainable travel options, rising to 72% among prospective travelers.
We looked at the different ways people would want to contribute to responsible tourism and among those who would pay more for sustainable travel, one in two said they would seek out authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture (50%).
A nearly equal share of people who would pay more for sustainable travel said they would stay in eco-friendly or green accommodations (48%) and more than two in five say they would prioritize spending money with local businesses (45%).
Read more about the demand and opportunities for sustainable tourism.
There’s so much more to discover about engaged and eco-conscious travelers, especially when you factor in the geographical nuances in each market. Explore more of our sustainability insights below:
3. The travel brands that won 2022
YouGov tracks travel, tourism and destinations daily around the world, allowing us to consistently and accurately measure consumer attitudes towards them.
This year, we looked at how travel brands fared in the eyes of Responsible Travelers—those who take trips focused on wellness, the environment and culture.
Our Travel & Tourism 2022 Rankings revealed the top considered travel brands in 18 international markets, with notable names such as Marriott, Hilton, Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia topping the lists.
Download the full report to learn more about:
- The importance of sustainability in travel brand development
- The top travel companies amongst Responsible Travelers in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the UAE, UK and US.
- The most considered destinations amongst Responsible Travelers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the UAE, UK and US.
- The top travel brands and destinations among Americans in 2022
- The UK’s top travel brands—and Brits’ favourite destinations in 2022
We also released a similar report for the US which focused on hotel and lodging brands. Marriott was the most considered accommodations brand among the general population and Responsible Travelers in the US, but the study also uncovered several other brands showing stronger traction among this latter group.
Learn more about the travel brands that stand out among Responsible Travelers in the US.
Discover even more about the travel industry in part 1 of YouGov's travel roundup 2022.
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