SingapoReimagine Global Conversations: Shaping the Future of Travel

The discussion delved into what has led to the growing interest in bleisure travel. Jean spoke about how the acceleration of digitisation has made businesses more flexible as people can now work remotely. “A modern business traveller can today extend their stay a little bit longer in their destination. With the pent-up demand for travel, they might also bring their spouse or family along with them which also helps the family bond as well as discover the destination together”, she opined. Brian added, “People want to get the maximum from the effort, be it financial input or the time invested in travel. The lines between business and personal have blurred. When you’re on a business trip you don’t just want to experience things around business but also your personal likes.”

With business and travel merging, people now also rely heavily on good WiFi connectivity to be able to work from their travel destinations. Speaking about the changes ushered in by the ‘work-from-anywhere’ trend, Naveen said, “WiFi was the most important factor for a traveller during the pandemic. Since the borders were closed, people travelled within the country and WiFi was the most important factor in choosing a location. The world is still in a hybrid mode and it is going to remain in a hybrid mode.”

Nikhil talked about the key changes in how the travel industry treats its customers and said: “Today, the customer is king and is extremely knowledgeable about what he wants and doesn’t want. Secondly, processes have eased as we’ve evolved technologically, and travel has become more of a necessity than a luxury.” He also delved into the changes brought by advancement in technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality that can heighten experiences, as well as the changing mindsets of millennials who are keen on maximising results from their escapades.

Travellers' perspectives are shifting, and sustainable travel is becoming a more popular trend as they attempt to reduce tourism's negative environmental effects. People are looking for methods to travel more ethically and to make significant adjustments to help protect our world, especially as demand for travel increases. The pandemic appears to have exacerbated this tendency. At the same time, the travel sector is also growing more conscious of how travelling affects the environment. Understanding the concept of sustainable travel and making adjustments to satisfy the evolving needs of these conscientious travellers are essential for anyone working in the travel industry to remain relevant. According to a survey by booking.com in 2021, 61% of travellers stated that the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future.

“For hospitality, sustainability is a key focus area not only from a business perspective but also from a consumer perspective. A lot of commercial activity is happening around sustainability with websites offering sustainable hotels and RFPs asking very specific questions on sustainability”, Nikhil opined. Jean further added, “People will travel more, the length of stay will increase, connectability of transportation as well as connectivity are very important, and of course sustainability. We all need to be very focused on climate change and educate not just as a corporation but all the guests who stay with us, who will leave knowing that they can make an impact on this world.” Thus, there is a shift in travelling patterns and itineraries becoming more immersive and experiential. As borders reopen more and travel restrictions are further eased, there has been a renewed focus on responsible travel activities. The conversation highlighted these key shifts in the travel industry and provided intriguing insights for the travel industry and travellers of today, and brand owners who are not in the travel verticals will also find these takeaways applicable to their marketing and business strategies.

Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article