What would you give up to take a trip? To would-be travelers polled by Booking.com, planning time, alcohol, even sex was on the to-be-sacrificed list if it meant taking a needed pampered escape to somewhere delicious.
Spontaneity is expected to be the buzzword in travel for 2021 travelers as a new global study reveals 89% of U.S. travelers intend to be more impulsive than ever — following 2020’s cancelled trips, total boredom and all round “year of doing nothing”. A new report from Hotels.com, however, has uncovered how the new lust for spontaneity will have a ripple effect on the hotel and travel industries, as travelers say “yes” to more – and fast.
The global study showed 32% of respondents called 2020 a “lost year” for travel, prompting more than a third (35%) to be more likely to drop everything to vacation if it is possible in 2021. Hotels.com’s booking data supports this, with almost half of bookings in June 2020 (when lockdown rules eased for the first time for many) being made three or fewer days from the time of search.
More than quarter polled revealed they would say yes to more last-minute trips (28%), with one in four (26%) saying they would take off on a long-haul trip for just a few days or make no plans for the trip in favor of being spontaneous when they arrive (25%). A further 17% are ready to go for the gold and book five-star hotels for their 2021 getaways.
Experts at Hotels.com also predict this extravagant attitude will have a dramatic impact on hotel booking behavior, with 2021 being the year to treat one’s self. Compared to pre-pandemic times more than a quarter (26%) would now book a better hotel room, and nearly a quarter would spontaneously say yes to a room upgrade if offered when booking (24%).
“2020 was the year of staying home, postponing trips and posting old vacation pictures on social media. This year, travelers are ready to ‘seize the stay’ when travel returns and they feel comfortable to take the trips they missed out on” shared Josh Belkin, Vice President, Global brand Hotels.com. “We saw that when travel restrictions eased for many in July and August 2020, over half of bookings were made three days or less ahead of their stay, compared to 40% in 2019. People are ready to channel their inner spontaneous self, dropping everything at the last minute to get away and enjoy the best that hotel life has to offer.”
Travelers are ready to get in that robe and raid the mini bar again with a quarter of people saying the thing they miss most about traveling is being able to stay in an wonderful hotel. They miss the pampering: relaxing in a plush robe (13%), savoring the peace and quiet (30%), wandering the breakfast buffet (23%), enjoying hotel restaurants and bars (29%), immersing in rooms with a view (26%), ordering room service (18%), visiting the hotel pool (20%), booking an appointment in the spa (17%) and sleeping in an incredible hotel bed (18%).
This craving means travelers will take a different approach to hotel bookings in 2021 – it will be all about upgrading the experience. When asked what new experiences they would spring for, around one in five (20%) would splurge on a spa treatment, uber-luxe hotel restaurant (20%), or a fancy cocktail in the hotel’s bar (24%). One in five noted they would spontaneously book a fancy hotel for a staycation for the weekend (24%) or take advantage of a mid-week deal in their local trendy hotel (23%).
Keeping the Spontaneity
Travelers want to be carefree and relaxed by making spontaneous decisions (32%), not having to plan and just doing what they wanted (28%) and saying ‘yes’ to new experiences (24%). The research also revealed the lengths that many will go to for a vacation and a hotel stay in 2021, with travelers admitting do all the cleaning in their house (29%), give up sweets (24%), not leave their house (23%), social media apps (17%) and even sex (16%) for a month.
With spontaneity comes packing pressure. Most would go nowhere without their digital lifelines, with over half (55%) prioritizing their phone, laptop and charger – beating out a change of clothes (46%), a swimsuit (29%) and sleepwear (30%).
- Research was conducted by One Poll in December 2020. 1,000 respondents across the United States.
Get Social