Hospitality Net recently released the Q1 Travel Trend Report and the findings are looking positive for the leisure and travel industry.
As borders are slowly opening, the report shows that travel search surge, lodging bookings are on the rise, big cities and beaches remain as travelers’ favorites, and there is a growing market for sustainable tourism.
Hospitality Net shared:
During the first quarter of 2022, search volume globally was up 25% quarter-over-quarter, led by double-digit growth in North America (NORAM) at 30% and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 25%. A prior- year comparison further illustrates just how much travel is returning, with search volume up 75% year-over-year globally compared to Q1 2021.
Major cities such as Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, and London remained popular with travelers and made the global top 10 list of booked destinations in Q1, along with beach destinations like Cancun, Punta Cana, Honolulu, and Miami. Las Vegas topped the global list, surpassing New York, which held the No. 1 spot in Q3 and Q4 2021.
Building on strong performance in Q4, global lodging bookings for hotels and vacation rentals combined were up 35% quarter-over-quarter. All regions experienced at least double-digit growth, with the strongest quarterly growth in EMEA at 150% and Latin America (LATAM) at 75%.
The study also found that half of consumers would be willing to pay more for transportation, activities, and lodging if the option was more sustainable, demonstrating the opportunity for travel providers and marketers to be surfacing more sustainable options for travelers.
