The world’s most experienced travellers expose how to manage inflation, potential airline disruptions and a very busy forecast for global tourism in 2023.Global tourism is expected to rise by 30% in 2023, according to reports and the world’s most experienced travellers have revealed their secrets, and mistakes, on how to manage the upcoming busy travel year, crowded destinations, higher costs and potential travel disruptions.
The majority of travelers (41%) are planning trips further in advance to lock in reservations and prices, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. Another 18% said they plan to travel during off-peak seasons. Thirteen percent said they will seek undiscovered destinations or locales that are off-the-beaten path, 11% said they would avoid traveling on weekends and holidays to avoid crowds, and nearly 5% revealed they would skip international travel and take trips domestically only. About 1-in-10 said they would not do anything differently.
The predicted rise in travel coincides with higher travel-related costs. Nearly half of the surveyed travelers (45%) are planning to absorb the higher travel costs without skimping. The other half will look for less expensive destinations (13%), reserve less costly lodging (8%), shorten trips (6%), find destinations that have an advantageous currency exchange with their home country currency (5%), do less shopping (5%), dine out less (4%) and do more bleisure travel combining work-related travel with leisure trips (3%).
Recurring news about airline staff shortages, disrupted flights, and jumps in cancellations are forcing travelers to protect their trips. More Americans are cautious after a spike in flight cancellations at the end of 2022, according to a Reuters report.
“As travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, more travellers than ever believe emergency rescue and evacuation services are essential, whether it’s due to COVID, a natural disaster, civil unrest or simply to help assist with more complicated travel logistics. Travel protection for emergency medical services and evacuation is no longer optional; it’s obligatory,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Scheduling nonstop flights (35%) whenever possible is the leading way survey respondents will manage potential flight disruptions and staff shortages followed by purchasing travel protection (30%) for delayed or canceled flights, lost luggage, and trip cancellation, according to the Global Rescue survey. Eleven percent of travelers said they will avoid checking luggage and opt for carry-on baggage and 7% said they would travel during off-peak days and times.
As travellers plan trips for 2023, respondents revealed a shift in the types of travel they want compared to responses from spring 2022. The biggest change is a 40% dip in respondents who are planning to travel to visit family and friends. Another change is the 21% decline in surveyed travellers who are preparing for outdoor adventure trips.
Despite the shift, outdoor adventure travel led all types of international travel planning followed by a bucket list trip (26%), a culture exploration trip (24%), visiting friends and family, a dream trip (15%) and a wellness trip (5%). A fifth of respondents reported the international trips planned for 2023 were work-related or bleisure.
The survey revealed 7-out-of-10 of the world’s most experienced travelers are members of a Trusted Traveler Program, like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, compared to only 22% of American flyers, according to a survey reported in Yahoo! Finance.
As travel returns following the easing of pandemic restrictions, many travelers are readjusting to travel. According to the Global Rescue survey, even the most well-traveled individuals make mistakes following a travel layoff. Survey respondents admitted that over-packing (28%) was the biggest travel mistake since returning to travel, distantly followed by overly ambitious travel itineraries (9%).
Travel mistakes like forgetting an international plug adapter, failing to change your phone data plan, drinking unsafe water or forgetting to notify your bank you would be out of the country each accounted for 4% or fewer responses. Letting your passport or Trusted Traveler Program membership expire, tipping inappropriately, forgetting your prescription medicine, or medical security protection each accounted for fewer than 2% of responses.
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