Amadeus survey reveals appetite for travel stifled by lack of clarity on travel restrictions and unpredictability in outcomes. Photo Credit: Getty Images/anyaberkut
The hunger for travel is increasing across nine countries, according
to a survey commissioned by Amadeus, and major issues holding back this
explosion in demand is the lack of clarity on travel restrictions and
uncertainty regarding Covid-19.
More than 77% of travellers in France, Germany, India, Spain, Russia,
Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the US want to travel in the next year,
with 50% indicating business travel plans. Singaporean travellers
surveyed are most likely to travel within Asia (excluding the Middle
East) for business (45%) or leisure (55%) in the next year.
However, more than 35% of travellers said the current international
guidelines around where and how to travel are confusing, making them
less likely to book business and/or leisure travel. In Asia Pacific, 37%
of travellers in India and 40% of those in Singapore shared the same
sentiment.
As a result of this pent-up desire to travel, travellers are
demonstrating a willingness to share personal health data and to utilise
technology in order to facilitate travel.
There are 93% of travellers globally who would be willing to provide
personal data for the effective use of digital health passports or
certificates, a slight increase from 91% in February 2021. In both India
and Singapore, the figure was slightly higher than the global average
at 95%.
Top technologies that appear to gain the confidence of travellers are:
● Mobile applications that provide on‐trip notifications and alerts (44%) (India: 55%; Singapore: 45%)
● Self‐service check‐in (41%) (India: 49%; Singapore: 53%)
● Contactless mobile payments (e.g., Apple or Google Pay, Paypal, Venmo) (41%) (India: 47%; Singapore: 47%)
● Automated and flexible cancellation policies (40%) (India: 42%; Singapore: 45%)
Although receptiveness to travel in the next year is high, traveller
concerns also reflect: fear of catching Covid‐19 while travelling (41%);
self‐isolation or quarantine before and after travel (41%); and
changing restrictions resulting in last-minute cancellations (37%). In
Asia Pacific, the fear of catching Covid-19 is a top concern (54%) for
travellers in both India and Singapore.
“This research demonstrates the appetite to travel continues to grow,
and that travellers are looking forward to advancements in areas such
as touchless technology, digital health and sustainable travel. Now is
the time to listen even more closely to travellers’ needs so we can
rebuild our industry in a way that is more traveller-focused, resilient
and sustainable,” said Decius Valmorbida, president, Travel, Amadeus.
To learn more about the results of the survey, read the global report here.
Source: Travel Weekly Asia