World Tourism Day 2022: SiteMinder launches annual Changing Traveller Report, the largest accommodation-specific traveller survey globally
Sydney, Australia – SiteMinder (ASX:SDR), the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, has today launched its annual Changing Traveller Report, revealing that the urge to travel is stronger than rising inflation, and the already popular ‘bleisure’ travel trend — combining business and leisure — is pushing new preferences that are set to change the hotel sector.
The largest accommodation-specific traveller survey globally, the report surveyed more than 8,000 travellers from 10 countries, uncovering five key traveller trends shaping the next phase of travel recovery across the world:
- The Macro-Travel Trend: The urge to travel is stronger than rising inflation
- The Digital Influence Trend: Right now, travellers are the most winnable consumers on earth
- The Bleisure Trend: Working travellers want the hotel of the future, today
- The Trust Trend: Every digital touchpoint matters for the new trust-critical traveller
- The Human Connection Trend: Tech-enabled travellers are not willing to compromise on human connection
Globally, the majority of travellers do not expect to be held back by rising inflation, with 87% of travellers saying they are happier when they are anticipating travel, and 85% of travellers comfortable spending additional money on extras during their next stay. The most desired extra cost add-ons are breakfast (50%) and a view (34%).
In the ‘new normal’ of travel, 80% of travellers say it is important to have the flexibility to easily modify or freely cancel their reservation. When making an online accommodation booking on a property’s website, an easy and secure booking and payment process is the top priority for travellers.
Sankar Narayan, Managing Director and CEO of SiteMinder, said, “The long-awaited recovery of travel has emerged with a new type of traveller, who has higher expectations from hotels and their travel experiences than ever.
“The accommodation sector has remained at the heart of travel during the last two years, with the rise of regional and domestic travel. Now, we are seeing pent-up demand pushing the next phase of global travel recovery forward, with supply-driven hurdles such as border restrictions and flight scarcity becoming less of a roadblock for travellers in high-traffic destinations across the world.
“More than simply an awakened enthusiasm for travel, travellers globally have reported strong intent to book and spend more, despite rising inflation. In SiteMinder’s 2022 Changing Traveller Report, we can see that, more than ever, travellers now have ambitions to book, travel, work, connect, and experience the world with the greatest flexibility and security possible.
“This strong, multifaceted traveller intent is set to further evolve the role of accommodation, which hoteliers need to be ready for.”
The research highlighted the need for hoteliers and the travel industry to balance increasing guest needs, including higher expectations on hotel brands’ digital touch points to build trust, and human connection.
Further insights from the report include:
- 36% of travellers globally are planning to work on their next trip
- For 60% of those not working, the ‘little things’ (e.g. a property’s scent, their artwork, the restaurant’s music) ‘always’ or ‘often’ impact whether the respondents would consider returning to a property, however this jumps to 78% among working travellers
- More than 70% of all travellers would ‘likely’ or ‘definitely’ pre-visit their property in the metaverse before check-in if they had the opportunity to
- 87% would appreciate it if their accommodation provider enabled them to learn more about the culture and history of the location they are staying in
Explore SiteMinder’s interactive hotel experience to gain more insights and to read the full report.
Media contact
Gemma Garkut
+61 2 8031 1287
media@siteminder.com
Investor information
Paul Wong
+61 411 889 876
investor.relations@siteminder.com
Survey methodology
Powered by Kantar, in August 2022, SiteMinder undertook a survey of 8,182 travellers aged over 18 years in August, 2022, in 10 markets, including Australia, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Thailand, UK, USA. Respondents were asked 25 accommodation-specific questions, and were split up by gender, generation, location (urban, suburban, rural), travel plans, work plans and the type of accommodation they plan to stay in next. The data was supplemented with reports and data from McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, Paysafe, and others.
About SiteMinder
SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) is the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, ranked among technology pioneers for opening up every hotel’s access to online commerce. It’s this central role that has earned SiteMinder the trust of tens of thousands of hotels, across 150 countries, to sell, market, manage and grow their business. The global company, headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangkok, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London and Manila, generated more than 100 million reservations worth over US$35 billion in revenue for hotels in the last year prior to the start of the pandemic.