1. 13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013
Skift.com Researched and written by:
TRAVEL INTELLIGENCE. Rafat Ali
GLOBAL SMARTNESS. Dennis Schaal
Samantha Shankman
2. 13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013
Skift has paid close attention to everything travel One area where U.S. is still defining trends is
since before our public launch in August 2012. Our technology innovation, especially in mobile.
mix of original reporting, news from partners, and Companies like Airbnb and HotelTonight are
curated stories from around the world give us an redefining the very definition of the hotel and
inside edge on developments inside and outside the lodging sectors, while larger digital giants like
travel industry. With this insight, we’ve identified 13 Google, Apple and Nokia have hit reset on the
key trends that will shape the coming year. transportation and local transit sectors with their
mapping and local information wars.
For the first time since the European Renaissance,
the locus of travel is moving eastward, and 2013 2012 was also the start of Skift’s journey—we
will continue that inexorable journey. Both consumer launched 5 months ago—and as we prepare
and business travel trends are now being defined to go into 2013, we’re defining our coverage
and tested out in regions other than U.S and Europe, areas, our expansive lens of looking at travel as
while travel sector here, especially airlines, is in a well. We believe these 13 trends, by no means
race to find the best new fee. User experience and exhaustive, will help define travel and many other
its intersection with design is the lens that travel interconnected sectors.
will increasingly be defined by, and regions like
Middle East and South East Asia are at the forefront Get your daily dose of Skift: subscribe to our
of those trends. newsletter, RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.
3. 1. EVERYONE WANTS A CHINESE TOURIST IN 2013
A record 1 billion tourists crossed From hotels, airports, malls and with Chinese, are re-architecting Chinese and Russian visitors led
international borders in 2012, and retailers hiring Manadarin speaking their tourism policies wholesale to the way for busiest year of tourism
Chinese travelers are becoming concierge services, to countries accomodate these big numbers. in planet’s history via Skift
a bigger and bigger part of it. easing visa norms and doing joint Even countries like Gambia,
Outbound tourists rose from 16.6 marketing agreements with China, Kazakhstan and Pakistan, not on Chinese tourists are set to
million in 2002 to 70.3 million in everyone wants the hordes of any mainstream tourism map, are become the world’s biggest
2011, and are expected to rise to Chinese travelers spending stepping up their marketing efforts overseas spenders via Skift
82 million this year, up 17 percent. money, especially the recession to lure the mainland travelers.
Those numbers are expected to rise and debt crisis beset European
to a whopping 200 million by 2020, and North American countries: U.S., If you’re in travel anywhere in the
and the world needs to get ready UK and Australia are banking on world and don’t have an evolved
to absorb that many extra tourists. Chinese visitors to shore up their and nuanced China strategy, you
And especially tourists spending sputtering economies. aren’t a serious player in 2013.
money: UNWTO figures show that
year on year, Chinese tourists spent Neighboring destinations like Hong Further Reading:
30 percent more when travelling Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Chinese outbound tourism growing
abroad than previous year. Singpore, already very popular rapidly via SCMP 13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 1
4. 2. ANCILLARY FEES ARE THE NEW NORMAL
The travel industry has been fees, and turning once-included Further Reading:
completely upended by the services into a la carte ones in 22.6 billion reasons why airlines
unbundling of fees, with airlines order to charge extra for additional can’t wean themselves off fees
leading the charge. Airlines have housekeeping services, bathroom via Skift
gone far beyond checked bag fees amenities, or even television.
and are now dreaming up new paid Hotel industry finds its big
services, including bag delivery Expect more demands from ancillary revenue driver: spas
and pre-ordered gourmet meals on consumers for transparency with via Skift
board. As airlines are expected to all the new fees being added on
pocket $36 billion in fees in 2012, (the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Opt out may lead to drip pricing
other travel sectors are quickly will be knocking on more doors for via Hotel News Now
getting into the act, too. Hotels sure), as well as a host of startups
are building new spas to build and solutions to manage and
on these ancillary services and navigate around these fees.
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 2
5. 3. LAST-MINUTE MOBILE HOTEL BOOKING
HotelTonight is a very well-funded click to book using your stored Further Reading:
app built to do one thing and your credit card info. The app HotelTonight expands in Europe
one thing only: Book last-minute, fills a real need in the market, and Mexico with localized
same-day hotels in the city you especially for business travelers, language capabilities via Skift
are in. Every day at noon local and no wonder it is growing like a
time the app gives you deeply weed. Expect more such curated Hotel Tonight lets users add
discounted rates at five hotels single-function startups to crop whimsy back into their urban
available in your chosen city. up. In reaction to HotelTonight, escapes via Skift
The innovation is not just on the Priceline already launched
simple curation concept, but Tonight-Only hotel deals, and HotelTonight adds personalized
also on UI and design: gorgeous expect further challenges from offers and user ratings for greater
dark tones and a simple one- other established players. choice via Skift
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 3
6. 4. THE RISE OF PRICE TRANSPARENCY
Tingo, part of the giant Long term, the macro trends are Further Reading:
TripAdvisor family, is intent clear: price transparency will Save money even after you book
on bringing transparency to become norm, and expect it to come via BBC Travel
hotel travel pricing. With Tingo, to airlines and other parts of travel
consumers book a hotel room at ecosystem as well. While it’s a real TripAdvisor’s Tingo refunds if
the lowest available refundable benefit to travelers, hotels can use rates drop before your stay
rate and the service automatically the fluctuation in their prices to via USA Today
re-books the reservation in the upsell consumers on goods like a
future if the rate drops. No extra room upgrade, a drink at the bar, or Will the Hospitality Industry
work is involved from the user’s spa services (see “Ancillary fees are Tango with Tingo? via Hotel
side, and they get notified about the new normal”). News Resource
the new lower price until 24 or 48
hours before check-in, when the
final price is set.
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 4
7. 5. TRAVELERS ARE HUNGRY FOR FOOD TOURISM
Food tourism is one of the already has a massive following Further Reading:
fastest growing sectors for the of dedicated, wealthy, and Foodies’ dreams come true with
discerning traveler, and now discerning consumers who are launch of a new travel venture by
Whole Foods has launched a new likely to salivate at the news Whole Foods via Skift
venture to capitalize on the trend. and become the venture’s first
Called Whole Journeys, it offers customers. Expect more such Whole Journeys: Whole Foods
worldwide tours focused on the efforts from larger consumer Market’s New Travel Venture
production and consumption of brands as they try to build on via The Adventure Post
food. It’s a clever brand extension their “authentic” cred in various
for Whole Foods: The company sectors, especially retail. Gastronomy and the hunt for
authentic experiences: the future
of food tourism via Skift
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 5
8. 6. AIRPORTS AS DESTINATIONS
As the airline experience continues signage, solutions to satiate our Further Reading:
to deteriorate and fragment—at need to be connected (free Wi-Fi!), The Airport Of The Future Is About
least in the Western world— and more shopping and dining More Than Takeoff And Landing
airports are seeing a buzz of activity options near gates. The more via Fast Company Co.Exist
and are reinventing themselves successful ones have become
around user experience and design. places where people want to spend Are airports the new malls for
The new normal as exemplified by time and have experiences and not holiday shopping? via Skift
Incheon International Airport in just pass through. Whether it is
Seoul, Madrid’s Barajas Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare newly launched Airports are becoming activity
or Singapore’s Changi Airport, are farmer’s market inside the terminal, hubs to take advantage of listless
centered around innovations like or Munich’s onsite brewery, the flyers via Skift
airy, light-filled primary spaces, airports are becoming more
less-intimidating security and inspirational, aspirational, and
baggage claim areas, simple nurturing. Imagine that.
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 6
9. 7. DESTINATION BRANDING THROUGH MOVIES
Starring in a film has become Virginia began touting itself as Further Reading:
a surefire way to boost tourism the site of Lincoln’s filming and James Bond and his latest movie
for a destination. Tourism in North Carolina turned Hunger lends a helping hand to UK
New Zealand boomed following Games into an advertisement tourism via Skift
the Lord of Rings trilogy and the for its outdoors. Now destination
country’s tourism board has every marketing organizations are EU-backed attempt to boost
intention of that happening again realizing the trend and looking to movie-inspired tourism across
with the release of The Hobbit. A convert international attention Europe kicks off two-year effort
huge marketing campaign aimed a destination can draw from a via Skift
to make the country synonymous movie into travel bookings. Expect
with “middle-earth” included to see the trend pick up in 2013 Hobbit habits: New Zealand is
aircraft livery and in-flight with more planned campaigns ready this time for Tolkien tourism
videos. VisitBritain similarly and bids to become the venue— via Skift
integrated tourism marketing beyond tax break incentives—for
efforts with the Bond film highly anticipated movies.
Skyfall just as the U.S. state of
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 7
10. 8. DIGITAL MAPS ARE ONE OF TRAVEL’S KEY BATTLEGROUNDS
Now that smartphones are at the Giants like Nokia, Microsoft, AOL’s Further Reading:
center of our lives, navigation, Mapquest and startups such as Our long national nightmare is
in all senses of the word, makes Waze and Lumatic are building, over: Google Maps app for iPhone
up a large part of our digital launching and innovating. Even is now live via Skift
experience. Apple realized this, the incumbent giant Google
and booted Google Maps off is launching new functions— Foursquare’s founder argues
the iOS ecosystem. That move, incorporating content from Zagat maps aren’t about mapping
along with Apple’s subsequent and Frommer’s into results—as it anymore — they’re about
missteps in its own mapping races to differentiate itself against everything via Skift
effort, touched off a wave of Apple on all fronts. Expect public
activity in the mapping world. transport, walking directions How Google and Apple are
The new Google Maps app for iOS and offline viewing to be a big changing the face of mapping
6, launched in early December, push for next year, as well as the forever via Skift
is creating waves and Apple is acquisition or downfall of content
scrambling to catch up. and location players like Yelp,
Lonely Planet, and Foursquare.
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 8
11. 9. PERSONAL IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH MOBILE DEVICES
This year saw many airlines routes like there’s no tomorrow. Further Reading:
experimenting with digital The content-in-air consumption Westjet to allow passengers to
devices as the in-flight media patterns are beginning to look bring own portable media and
consumption platform, or digital- much like on-the-ground habits: ditch seat-back systems via Skift
enabled delivery of content A mix of open-Web content-plus-
services, on to users’ own devices. services mixed with on-demand The Year of the WISP
Tons of new investment is going entertainment as well as live via MondoWindow
into this undoubtedly transitory television channels. And while
phase, from large incumbents to consumer BYO trends work in Smart airlines are turning to
startups to even roll-up shops airlines’ favor with these moves, iPads instead of expensive seat-
taking up the charge on the it also helps cut thousands of back in-flight entertainment
delivery side. Forward-looking pounds from each aircraft and cut via Skift
airlines are rolling out Wi-Fi fuel costs, something that goes
across short- and long-haul directly to an airline’s bottom line.
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12. 10. AFFORDABLE DESIGN AT HOTELS
A new breed of hotels popped up assembling identical rooms that across Europe and Asia and has
in Europe this year and is slowly are then stacked into a finished revamped bland, older structures
making its way around the world. product. A similar hotel The into bright, modern spots like
These so-called budget or smart Superbude 2 in Hamburg, Germany Park Inn Antwerp.
luxury hotels feature clean, bright took the award for European Hotel
designs and rooms that cost less Design Of The Year. Further Reading:
than the high-end design hotels CitizenM: Pre-fab luxe hotel chain
that emerged in the late 1990s As established hotel brands look runs with the Ikea model via Skift
and spread through the early to renovate and redesign their
2000s. Designed with young, older properties, they’ll likely Hamburg hotel created for
tech-savvy travelers in mind the pull components from these ‘next generation’ travelers wins
concept includes large community smartly designed, fledgling European design award via Skift
spaces, compact rooms, free Wi-Fi, brands. They can also take a cue
and lots of outlets. The most from Carlson’s value Park Inn The Daniel Hotel in Vienna
well-known is CitizenM, which brand, which is rolling out more via yatzer
cuts its costs by designing and than five dozen new properties
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 10
13. 11. BLURRING OF BUSINESS AND LEISURE TRAVEL
The boundary between business have come to expect more from consumer sites. Expect better user
and leisure traveler is blurring as corporate travel. experience, design and flexibility
“rogue” business travelers find for business travelers going
their way outside the corporate With a majority of business ahead.
walls. The arrival of online travel travelers working for companies
more than a decade ago and the that don’t have managed Further Reading:
mobile revolution today led to travel programs, they can take Airbnb’s busiest night reveals
what the corporate travel types advantage of deals on everything its new secret weapon: business
call “leakage.” Business travelers from Airbnb to HotelTonight, travel via Skift
have rebelled against their stodgy as well as low cost carriers.
corporate booking tools and Travel and expense firm Concur Next gen blurs lines of corporate,
want to access the deals and is trying to help companies leisure via Hotel News Now
tools that are readily available to handle their booking rebels with
them when they travel for leisure. an Open Booking solution that Rogue travelers present new
Millennials raised on intuitive, enables employees to make their avenue for demand via Hotel
leisure-oriented travel experiences travel plans directly on these News Now
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 11
14. 12. CEMENTING OF GULF AS THE NEXT GREAT GLOBAL AVIATION HUB
The spectacular rise of the in low-cost carriers and national more frenzied activity in 2013
triumvirate of Emirates, Etihad carriers around the world and as the three Gulf carriers look to
and Qatar airlines mirrors the geo- entering into codeshares and expand into North America and
political rise of these tiny state airline alliances. Qatar’s entry Africa, both directly and indirectly
actors onto the world stage, riding into the oneworld alliance and through partnerships.
on a wave of sovereign oil wealth. Emirates’ deal with Qantas are
All the airlines’ activity also means typical of their movements and Further Reading:
huge airport hubs, and new ones demonstrate that these airlines How Middle East airlines soar and
being built almost overnight. The are not rogue actors on the scene European ones don’t via Skift
airports Emirates and Etihad call but the new establishment, as
home are undergoing significant the center of gravity of long-haul How Gulf airlines will change
expansions, while Qatar Airways is aviation settles in the Gulf region. everything about international air
preparing to move to a brand-new At the same time, Europe’s ongoing travel via Skift
airport any day now. debt crisis has left it powerless to
take the bold actions necessary Gulf’s airlines expanding global
Add to that, 2012 saw these to prevent it from slipping in the network, thanks to sovereign
airlines acquiring strategic stakes great aviation race. Expect even wealth via Skift 13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 12
15. 13. LURE OF THE LAST UNKNOWN: THE RISE OF MYANMAR
The opening-up and the rise of gateway, is the fastest growing Further Reading:
Myanmar over the last year has hotel market in the world, and Yangon, Myanmar is one the
been breathtaking in scope, the current hotel capacity was fastest growing hotel markets in
and its travel sector is the sold out for most of 2012. It is the world via Skift
one to watch for the next year. the hottest new airline route
The country has always had a on the circuit, with local and Obama’s visit to Myanmar further
small-but-well-worn backpacker global Asian airlines starting boosts tourism to the world’s
trail and tours available to new flights to it. The total tourist newest travel hot spot via Skift
wealthy visitors, but packaged count will cross 1 million mark
travel arrived in earnest for the in 2012, its highest ever. On the Burma tourism hits the 1 million
first time in 2012, lured by the travel infrastructure side, it will mark via Mizzima News
marketing of Burmese exotica. continue to struggle with demand,
which also means tons of new
It is now on every top travel opportunities for investors in all
destination list for 2013; Yangon, sectors of travel.
the former capital and main
13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 | 13