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What do guests want from their travel experiences? We speak to industry experts who highlight the top trends that are shaping travel and tourism today

While coming to terms with the impact of the pandemic, the travel and tourism industry is also acquainting itself with a new wave of travellers. Expectations have altered and demands are now higher, as most industry experts point out. But what is it that guests truly want?

Among new trends taking shape, experiential travel, eco-conscious breaks and wellness experiences that go beyond spas are leading the way. With travellers now becoming more aware of their choices than ever before, they are seeking experiences that transform them, are not detrimental to the environment and offer them the most value. aware and conscious about the impact of their trips. With tourism contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions, more and more travellers are choosing eco-conscious breaks as a way to mitigate their role in the issue. And the industry has taken note.

When Chris Nader cofounded ENVI Lodges, it was in response to the strong spotlight that the pandemic shone on the environmental impact of travel and tourism. He noted that there was a psychographic shift taking place in the industry, led by Gen Y and Z, who valued experiences and sustainability above everything else and were choosing hotels that left a positive impact on the environment in which they operated.

Nader said: “Travellers are making greener choices; they are choosing responsible brands and properties that operate in a way that matches their beliefs and they want to make sure that there is accountability and monitoring.

“They need to know how their stay is contributing to the wellbeing of the locals. They also need to know that their efforts are supporting the regeneration of the environment or the protection of local heritage,” added Nader.

“We, therefore, developed our sustainability standards with the help of various experts in design, engineering and operations. These standards are included in our sustainability programme – C.A.R.E. – and are based on seven pillars: respect the land, build with a sense of place, protect wildlife, support local communities, be mindful of resources, eat responsibly and engage guests.”

Travellers are making greener choices; they are choosing responsible properties that operate in a way that matches their beliefs

EXPERIENTIAL STAYS

Nader noted that transformative experiences are also top of mind for today’s travellers. He said guests are now seeking “experiences that change them, transform them and leave a lasting impact and memory”.

He added: “Often, they do not really know what they want to achieve during their trip or what they hope to take away. As an experiential lodge brand, it is our aim to not only deliver what guests think they want but also what they never thought to ask for.

“We think of our guests as a group of people who share the same mindset and have the same values. We do not follow the traditional segmentation method that is typical in our industry. It doesn’t matter to us if you are a couple, a family or an individual, and it doesn’t matter how old you are. What matters is for us to know what experiences you are seeking, what transformation you hope to achieve and what higher purpose is driving you to stay with us.

“All our guests have three things in common: they want to be immersed in nature, they seek transformative experiences and they care about the environment. So, we develop our lodges based on a pre-defined guest journey that suits predominately one of our guest profiles: the adventurer, the spiritual or the explorer. Each profile has different needs and expectations and, therefore, requires different experiences and facilities.”

WELLNESS TRAVEL

The pandemic brought about a sharp rise in the demand for wellness experiences, with physical and mental health becoming a significant part of public discourse. Unsurprisingly, in the last few months, wellness-focused resorts have blossomed around the world.

Responding to the demand for wellness experiences, Dubai-based female entrepreneurs, Sophia Bakkal and Rachel Dowes, founded Beyond Wellness to make wellness-focused retreats more accessible to guests in the region. “It has been promising,” they said as they continue to tailor wellness experiences in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring locations, from Dubai to the Maldives and Zanzibar.

“Our retreats offer a 360-degree mind, body and spirit experience encompassing physical, mental and spiritual wellness in its entirety. And our retreats are set in some of the world’s most tranquil locations.

“We believe that being close to nature is important for self-healing, so all our experiences are held within natural beauty. For instance, our Maldives retreat is the most popular simply because there’s nothing quite like seeing dolphins swimming by during a yoga session or meditating at night on the beach and witnessing bioluminescent plankton lighting up the ocean.”

ALL-INCLUSIVE LUXURY

In a reshuffling of traveller priorities, all-inclusive resorts are beginning to shine. And guests looking to dip a toe into today’s all-inclusive offerings are finding a host of getaway options packed with amenities that allow them to leave their wallets in rooms.

The idea of experiencing travel – especially luxury travel – at a predetermined price and at a time when pandemic-related uncertainties can complicate travel budgets is appealing.

In the region, Rixos Hotels has championed the trend of all-inclusive stays by becoming one of the first brands to offer a premium hospitality experience to guests at a predetermined price.

Cenk Unverdi, Regional General Manager, Rixos Hotels UAE, said: “There is a growing demand for all-inclusive holidays, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era and guests nowadays are looking for experiences more than just hotel stays. They want worry-free vacations and we leverage this idea with our luxury offerings during their all-inclusive stays.

“While the word ‘all-inclusive’ only used to be associated with unlimited dining experiences, Rixos has elevated the concept with its premium offerings to include exceptional entertainment options for everyone and tried to monopolise the luxury stays market. Our all-inclusive offering includes fitness and spa facilities, fine dining at gourmet restaurants, adult-only pools with swim-up venues, 24-hour butler services, on-premises nightclubs and unlimited premium beverages.”

LOCAL ADVENTURES

On the rise since the pandemic first grounded travellers in 2020, domestic tourism is in demand now more than ever. The closure of borders forced travellers to explore their local world with a fresh set of eyes and fully immerse themselves in everything their region had to offer. “The pandemic highlighted the importance of ‘domestic tourism’ which I believe is here to stay. Tourists understand that there is much to see, explore and enjoy, that is available on their doorstep, without the stress of flights and long-distance travel,” said Walter Knight, Director of Hospitality, Farnek Services LLC.

This trend is quite evident in the UAE, thanks to the ease of travel between the seven emirates. With varied experiences available in each and the wide choice of resorts offering a range of settings, staycations are now more popular than ever. And several properties are catering to this demand by offering special rates for residents and curated packages to help staycationers make the most of their breaks.