Published on : Thursday, January 24, 2019
The call comes in a new ‘megatrends’ report published by the World Travel & Tourism Council, which forecasts eight billion air travelers by 2037.
Despite major changes across all industries, the future of tourism will be shaped by firms and destinations which will offer “unique and meaningful experiences, harness the power of networks, provide a personal service to sustainability-minded consumers, and are led by trustworthy and responsible leadership,” as per the WTTC. The report says that:
• Consumers are keener on experiences as social currency to looking for shared experiences to deliver meaning, self-improvement and stronger network.
• Millennials and Generation Z have little faithfulness to employers or brands and are more probable to depend on personal networks than experts.
• Consumers give importance to technology but are uncomfortable with over-automation, which shows possibility to replace customer interaction with intelligent bots.
• Consumers want to be considered as individuals by companies that take care of their privacy, share their values, and offer authenticity.
• Travel and tourism companies will do well by responding to the growth of ethical consumption trends and safeguarding the destinations they promote.
WTTC president and CEO Gloria Guevara said: “We live in an era of rapidly accelerating change. Powerful, global forces are fundamentally changing the way we live, work and travel at a rate we have never witnessed before.