SAY HELLO TO 2022
Top Trends for the New Year
What will 2022 bring? Of course, the inevitable resolutions that studies show peter out towards week four…But what is sure to last is the desire to travel, to explore, to get back out there. From adventures abroad and exploration of parks closer to home to a new spin on the ‘home away from home’ experience and a desire to reconnect in a destination where love comes easy, here are our top trends for 2022.
01/ Move Over Airbnb, Home-Swapping Viral Trend Takes off on TikTok
#houseswap is the latest TikTok craze with nearly 10M views and viral videos of users swapping houses a la Cameron Diaz/ Kate Winslet in the iconic movie The Holiday.
Global home swapping platform with homes in 110+ countries, Love Home Swap, saw a nearly 300% increase in member sign-ups last year compared to 2019, and new sign-ups are currently surpassing pre-covid levels this year.
Love Home Swap is reporting an increase in families swapping homes and US-based staycation arrangements as it helps to offset the increased costs of traveling, saving members on average $3.5k a year on accommodations through Love Home Swap which is only $11 a month.
02/ Nature Cures All
Club Wyndham and WorldMark by Wyndham home-style properties near national parks have seen a massive uptick in bookings (+71%). While travelers are gravitating towards cities again, they are still seeking travel to open spaces and getting close to nature, a trend that peaked at the height of pandemic travel. Likewise, there’s been an increase of 69% for bookings to Hawaii.
The Greek Islands is Contiki’s top booked destination for 2022. Likewise, the tour company for 18-35 year olds reports the biodiverse destination of Costa Rica is one of their top booked with a 375% increase YoY. According to recent survey conducted by Contiki – this demo of travelers is dreaming of beach vacations in 2022 nearly 70 percent opting for beachscapes over moutainscapes.
03/ Travel is Back—So Travelers Book Back-to-Back Trips
Bookings for Q1 2022 for Wyndham Destinations, the world’s largest vacation ownership business, have increased by nearly 40% compared to Q1 2021 demonstrating a strong return to travel.
18–35-year-old travelers are ‘trip-stacking’ and booking multiple trips back-to-back reports Contiki, a social tour company for 18–35-year-olds. Weekend trips are so 2021, in 2022, college students and young professionals are taking more PTO days with an average trip length of 9-11 days.
04/ Cities are Trendy Again
There was a shift away from cosmopolitan vacations amid the pandemic but that’s no longer. Wyndham Destinations reports urban properties have had the biggest increase in bookings YoY (+99%) compared to all destinations for 2022.
Contiki recently surveyed 1400 18–35-year-olds and over a quarter of them said they are taking a trip to an iconic city in 2022.
05/ Luxury All-Inclusive Experiences in High Demand
Sandals Resorts, the leading all-inclusive luxury resort brand, shows that booking trends are growing, as Sandals recently saw the highest bookings on record over the last year, with trends for this summer, fall and winter above historical averages.
The first half of 2022 is going to be the best first half of a year that Sandals has ever seen.
The room categories are selling from highest to lowest across the board, which is an increasing trend proving travelers are seeking more high-end experiences while keeping the ease that comes with an all-inclusive resort.
06/ Everyone is Summering in Europe
Global guided vacation companies Trafalgar and Contiki are both reporting summer 2022 is going to be a big one as travelers fill their vacation calendars predominantly in May/June 2022 already.
Trafalgar reports Europe as its top booked region with Italy, Ireland and the UK leading the way with the boomer and family travel demographics.
Online retail travel site, Travel + Leisure GO is reporting a strong international travel demand with travelers flocking to Dubai, Dominican Republic and London
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