Global travel app Skyscanner has published its latest industry travel report exploring the latest trends in travel. Titled ‘Skyscanner Horizons: 2024/5 spending, planning and destination insights’, the report unpacks and explores a combination of consumer survey and proprietary search data to provide the industry with a unique view of how travellers are thinking about their plans for the next 12 months.Surveying 19,000 consumers across 16 markets, the report delves into key indicators such as travel propensity, spend, trip type, and the trip planning process, including the top sources of destination inspiration, AI use and views on overtourism. Of the total, there were 6,000 survey respondents from APAC countries — Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Skyscanner’s search data further complements these insights by offering details on destination choice, average lead times, average trip length and year-on-year search volume comparisons.Indian travellers are leading the charge in the APAC region, with 66 percent planning to travel more in 2025. Overall, across the APAC region, travel and travel expenditure remain a priority, with 80 percent of travellers planning to take as many, if not more, trips next year than in 2024.Key findings relevant to the APAC region summarised below.Travellers seeking out collective experiencesAcross the board, travel behaviour is being shaped by a desire for collective experiences, from sports events and immersive art installations to gaming “pilgrimages” that bring people together. Travel Spend:—Half or more of Indian travellers (58 percent) are planning to budget more on their flights for their travel in 2025.—45 percent of Indians are planning to budget more on their accommodation and 34 percent are keen to spend more on car hires.Ancillaries Spend:—Top upgrades for Indian travellers include first/ business class flights (37 percent), airport lounge access (42 percent), extra baggage (36 percent), and travel insurance (34 percent). —57 percent of Indian travellers are willing to pay extra for better in-flight meals, the highest globally. Food remains a top priority even in the skies. For accommodation, 41 percent of Indian travellers want to upgrade their room to a larger room or one with a sea view, and 35 percent want to move from a 4-star to a 5-star. Cost and food shape travel choices Outside of costs, food is the biggest decision-making factor when choosing a destination. For Indian travellers, cost is a significant factor when choosing a holiday destination, with 65 percent considering hotel prices, 62 percent focusing on flights, and 54 percent on food and drinks.Travellers in India are increasingly relying on AI for travel planning, with 84 percent feeling confident in using it for destination research (52 percent), flight booking (50 percent), comparing options and prices (48 percent), and finding destination inspiration (46 percent).Top sources of travel inspirationSocial media and word-of-mouth recommendations are the leading sources of travel inspiration for travellers worldwide.—More than half of APAC respondents (55 percent) look to social media for travel ideas, while 45 percent rely on word-of-mouth recommendations.—In India, this trend shines even brighter with 68 percent of travellers turning to social media for travel ideas, while 57 percent rely on online media, including newspapers and magazines, and 52 percent seek inspiration from film and TV.2025 destination trends and trip lengthsTravellers continue to seek inspiration through Skyscanner’s popular ‘Everywhere’ search feature, which ranks highly across all regions. The top destinations identified in APAC revealed a preference for big cities across Asia. Average trip length is short, peaking at six days, apart from London at two weeks. Across the board, trip lengths are down YoY by around a day. Average lead times broadly fall between 30 and 70 days, with the highest being for London and Tokyo. Travellers are booking flights to New Delhi, on average, just 28 days before departure.Trending destinations identified in APAC showed a love for off-the-beaten path Asian destinations – with Dayong, China and Shillong, India both experiencing large YoY increases in search volume of over 800 percent. Dayong, home to UNESCO World Heritage Site Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, is experiencing a surge in popularity among eco-tourists thanks to the park’s unspoiled landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Shillong, often called “Scotland of the East,” attracts visitors with its green fields, misty mountains, and lingering traces of colonial influence. Smaller destinations in India, Japan and Cambodia are seeing a surge in popularity, taking up six of the top 10. Hugh Aitkens, VP, strategic relations and development at Skyscanner: “Many airlines are adopting new technologies, and at pace, to better serve travellers and respond to market demand. This includes AI-driven revenue management decisions and more personalised and dynamic offers. At the same time, airlines are grappling with global macro-economic pressures and geo-political issues which are putting strain on routes and profitability.”However, our data shows that travel demand remains resilient, and travellers are adapting their itineraries as they seek out collective experiences. This blend of resilience, ingenuity and innovation from both travellers and airlines looks set to make next year a transformative one for all. Looking ahead, we expect the market to become more active with seat sales and promotions as airlines compete for share of wallet.”
Published On Nov 7, 2024 at 09:00 PM IST
Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals
Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis.
Download .App
Get Realtime updates
Save your favourite articles
Scan to download App
To list you hotel to sell or lease for free please Click Here
