AS borders gradually open and more people are planning to travel in 2021, destinations within Asia seem to be the flavour with them, revealed the 2021 Travel Trends Report from Expedia.
The top five most searched destinations for travellers are Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Maldives and Bali.
The report also looked at the priorities of travellers when planning and booking travel with health, safety and flexibility at the top of the list. Here are some of these priorities:
• Health and safety: Concerns about staying safe while travelling will continue to impact every aspect of trip planning, from the type of accommodation to where to go and who to travel with. Since May nearly 300,000 accommodation partners have added health and cleanliness information on Expedia including enhanced cleaning, contactless check-in, social distancing and other guest safety measures.
• Flexibility: This will continue to be top-of-mind for travellers. Expedia data showed average daily rates for refundable accommodation bookings were 31% cheaper in 2020 compared to 2019.
• Shorter booking window: According to Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) data, in 2019 the average Singaporean traveller booked flights around 46 days in advance of their departure date. During the pandemic the window shortened to 43 days. Since August, it is just 33 days out – with the average advance purchase dropping below the 35-day mark. This shows how travellers have adapted to the rapidly changing environment.
However, the report noted that with airlines eliminating change fees travellers may feel more confident booking further out, knowing they can always change their plans down the road.
• Travel bubbles and green lanes: These aid confidence building for travel. The Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble launching on November 22 (no quarantine required) will pave the way for international travel resumption. Travellers can expect similar closely managed agreements to follow, spurring more international quarantine-free travel.
UPDATED: The travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong, originally, slated to start on Sunday November 22, will be deferred by at least two weeks after a spike in infections in Hong Kong.
• Maximising the trip: During lockdowns many travellers relied on virtual tours and activities to satisfy their wanderlust. But once able to travel again, whether within their own backyard or internationally, travellers resume looking for activities to get the most out their trips.
• Featured image credit (Kabukicho central gate in Shinjuku, Tokyo): B_Lucava/Getty Images
