Tweak your 2015 marketing plan to meet desires and expectations your target audience is predicted to have this year! Check out what industry professionals are predicting for the upcoming travel year, as well as what is trending and new in the world of travel!

What’s Hot?

The contentious Airbnb phenomenon may continue to pique the interest of adventurous travelers in 2015. Fueling this is a newly popular desire to seek out the authenticity of an area. This motivation is now moving into the food sector in 2015 with companies like eatwith.com and bookalokal.com. These websites match you with people cooking in their own homes and local restaurants in order to connect on a more personal, indigenous level. These intimate types of services are expected to be the fastest growing trends in the travel industry over the next few years, as travelers thirst for more authentic adventures and connections with real, local people.

The mobile opportunity for both travelers and businesses tapping into the vacation market at every stage of a consumers travel making decisions is at the utmost high this year. Mobile applications and accessibility is helping to fuel the steady travel industry on many levels and this year our phones will act as navigators, translators, itinerary managers, and as the ultimate travel companion as a whole.

Airport alerts will send notifications to your mobile device through nearby beacons, alerting you on currency-exchange counters, distance and time to your gates, and other useful tips.

Other hot trends for 2015 travel will include:

• Sleep-enhancing technology will be found in many hotel rooms around the world.
• “Meet and Seat” programs will be available to choose seatmates on airlines to connect with like-minded business professionals.
• Traveling for a good cause will pair many rentals with local charity organizations, donating a portion of your rental money to help the less fortunate.
• “Fourth class flying” will become more prevalent, with friendlier fares matched with business-style amenities.

Cuba

As the U.S. and Cuba continue historic talks to normalize relations between the two countries, more and more Americans will begin to consider vacationing in Cuba. Be sure to watch this space. If/when restrictions on travel to Cuba are removed, Americans interested in history, literature, and exploration will look to Cuba for a new adventure.

Predictions for Industry Success in 2015

With record numbers of travelers in 2014, industry professionals are expecting to see continued travel success in 2015.

• A record 1.1 billion people traveled in 2013, up 5.1%. (World Travel Market Global Trends Report, 2014)
• Mobile booking in general is on the rise. In 2018, it is predicted that 35% of online travel bookings will be via mobile. (WTM, 2014)
• Europe tops the list of places global travelers plan to visit at 46%, with Asia following closely behind at 39%, and 32% to North America. (TripAdvisor, 2014)
• Singapore, Thailand and Japan are among top destination picks for 2015. (CNN, 2014)
• Wearable technology (internet-connected devices that you wear) will be an increasingly important tool for travelers over the next couple of years. (WTM, 2014)
• 315 million people use TripAdvisor each month, a 20% increase from 2013. (TripAdvisor, 2014)
• Hotel capacity limits and infrastructure overload due to scarcity of time and place, especially during peak travel periods like during traditional summer vacations and Christmas and Easter breaks. (Huffington Post, 2014)
• Look for lottery systems to start popping up, allocating scarce tickets. (Huffington Post, 2014)
• Protest travel: “socially-conscious travelers using their social media to be mobilized into spontaneous local protests for human rights issues while traveling.) (Huffington Post, 2014)
• Underwater Tourism, where tourists are seeking new ideas and embarking on weeklong submarine voyages or staying in sub-aquatic hotels. (Huffington Post, 2014)
• Low-cost airlines continue to be the most successful sector in air travel. (Forbes, 2014)

With the depreciation of the yen, notoriously expensive Japan will see more vacationers as it will be less expensive to travel there. Thailand allures travelers with great food and glorious beaches and Singapore will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary of Independence, drawing visitors for the celebration.

CNN’s Top 10 Destinations for 2015

1. Milan
2. Mons, Belgium
3. Bahamian Riviera
4. Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
5. Downtown Los Angeles
6. Faroe Islands
7. Salta, Argentina
8. Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers (Rivers through Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia)
9. Singapore
10. Coober Pedy, Australia

Highlights from 2014

Despite fairly low optimism in the economy, travelers in 2014 did not give up on getaways, but instead became better bargain hunters and made sacrifices in other areas of daily living, according to TripAdvisor.

• Overall, travelers planned to spend more on their vacations in 2014, with the average spending $5,955 in 2013 to $6,136 in 2014. (TripAdvisor, 2014)
• 90% of global travelers planned to travel domestically, up from 87% in 2013. (TripAdvisor, 2014)
• 77% planned to travel internationally, up 12% from 2013. (TripAdvisor, 2014)
• Only 11% of global respondents reported spending more on travel because they felt more confident about the economy. (TripAdvisor, 2014)

In short, vacationers in 2015 are predicted to see rooms that unlock from wearable tech devices and robot butlers; they will make informed decisions about travel by researching online, asking locals specific questions through forums like TripAdvisor; and seeking out peer-to-peer experiences and rentals more this year than ever before. 2015 is expected to see empty-nest Baby Boomers, adventurous Gen-Xers, and Millennials alike in search of unique experiences.

Keep these predictions in mind as you execute your 2015 marketing plan! For more helpful tips, check out our Vacation Rental Marketing Blog.