What do travellers want for 2018?

The online travel booking platform has predicted that travellers will opt for a simpler way to book their travel accommodation.

Agoda chief product officer Omri Morgenshtern said travellers expect to receive well-digested information quickly.

“They don’t have the time or patience to do things a service can do for them. They will look to offerings that add value by simplifying the way they travel – from researching destinations to ordering room service,” he said.

It was also highlighted there’s little consumer demand for artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Agoda pointed out that the hardware isn’t advanced enough to provide any real value.

What that will be in demand however, is mobile apps. It’s predicted that multi-functional apps – such as the popular WeChat in China – will lead to a more integrated travel experience in 2018.

Meanwhile, it looks like the term “millennial” is now a mindset instead of an age bracket. By definition, millennials are generally regarded as those born between 1980 and 1994.

Agoda’s global Travel & Tech Study showed that regardless of whether a traveller is a millennial or not, what interests them is the same.

For example, the top two preferred travel activities are seeking out nature or scenery (67% for millennials vs 72% for non-millennials), and food and dining (67% for millennials vs 70% for non-millennials).

People of the millennial mindset often live a fast-paced and demanding lifestyle, and as such, expect everything at their fingertips.

The report also highlighted growing negative sentiments towards travel rewards programmes.

According to Agoda, travellers rarely understand what benefits they will be getting with many of today’s rewards programmes, or how to get them.

The quantitative online survey was tabulated with responses from 16,000 respondents aged 18-64 across 15 countries.

Source star2