What's New in Travel for 2007?
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
January 2007
Every year I ask Travelocity's customers what they plan to do with their travels in the year ahead. This year I added in a few new questions to learn a bit more about the kinds of vacations people plan to take, and how they feel about the new security rules, passport changes, and possible technological changes that may come in the year ahead. One thing I can already tell from your answers and the news is that nothing is going to stand still in 2007. Not even you.
The biggest change comes next week with the implementation of the new passport rules, which require all U.S. citizens traveling by air to the Caribbean, Canada or Mexico to have a passport. The way it's supposed to work is that people who show up at the airport and don't have the right identification and are returning after the law goes into effect, won't be permitted to leave. Yet my survey found that one in four travelers was still unaware of these new requirements.
One of the biggest topics for 2006 was the price of travel. This is going to dominate travel conversation in 2007 as people consider whether or not to stay or go based on price. Of course, the recent pick up in chatter about airline consolidation only furthers this potential point. But I found a majority of people (51%) said it would depend on how much higher fares rose. Twenty-seven percent of travelers said they would take fewer trips, 18 percent said they would book earlier, and 11 percent would book travel packages in an effort to dodge additional costs.
Just where will all this travel take people? I'm continuing to see a trend toward farther flung destinations in 2007, with Western Europe, the Caribbean and Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific ranking as the most desired international regions to visit. And for those travelers who did get their passports, there won't be any barriers to traveling abroad now.
With our busy lives growing increasingly hectic, many travelers want to relax on vacation. Not surprisingly, the top three activities for travelers are: hitting the beach, doing nothing, and participating in some sort of cultural experience.
When it comes to baggage, many travelers say they have revised their packing strategy in response to the latest security rule changes banning liquids. Nearly 20% of travelers admit that no matter how hard they try to keep up they always feel behind when it comes to security. Perhaps as a result, 75% of travelers say they now check most of their luggage and only carry a small bag onboard with them.
There is a direct correlation between the amount of luggage checked and the amount of luggage that gets lost. One thing that could be rolled out this year is more widespread use of RFID technology among the airlines. (Think of this as a barcode system that could instantaneously track down your luggage.) Thirty-two percent of travelers say they wish this had been thought of sooner. I don't know about you, but I think that is something to look forward to in 2007.
Surely there will be a lot more that's new in the year ahead. Stay tuned to my column and The Window Seat blog (http://windowseat.travelocity.com) to stay informed.
Happy Travels!
For more travel tips and advice, check out Amy Ziff's monthly column, Travel Trends & Advice from A to Z, at www.travelocity.com/atoz. To suggest a topic for a future column or to tell about a travel experience of your own, please email Amy Ziff at ask.amy@travelocity.com.
|
|
|
