Travel is back – and bigger than ever. Chances are good that you’ve been on a road trip this summer – or even flown for leisure travel. Maybe you’re even planning a train trip through Eastern Europe. Or perhaps your work is sending you on a regional business trip. In fact, McKinsey states that “After the pandemic upended life and leisure as we know it, travel is roaring back.” And new markets and unexpected international destinations are popular, too, according to this same report.

Safe to say, travel is a good business bet for an entrepreneur today.

If you’re interested in this booming industry of travel companies, note that staying ahead of the curve is essential for both aspiring and current business owners. Below, we’ll explore the top 10 trends in the tourism industry, providing analysis on consumer behaviors that fuel growth in this vibrant sector. For each trend, we offer business ideas and insights. This information serves as a foundation to help you refine your strategies, enhance your operations, and explore new market opportunities.

Whether you’re looking to start a new venture or pivot an existing travel or tourism business, understanding these trends around Artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental impact, among others, will equip you with the knowledge to make informed decisions and thrive in the competitive world of travel and tourism.

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Top 10 Business Travel and Tourism Industry Trends

Travel Trend #1: Sports Events and Concerts as Destinations

Imagine catching your favorite band live in Colorado, then topping it off with a mountain adventure the next day, or cheering at a thrilling car race before teeing off at a nearby golf course. The trend of turning sports events and concerts into full-fledged vacations is gaining momentum. Whether it’s the electric atmosphere of the Olympics or a local music festival, destinations come alive with the excitement of these events, drawing crowds and creating unique travel opportunities.

As Paris gears up for the Olympics, the city’s buzz is a testament to the staying power of this trend. Now is the perfect time for entrepreneurial minds to tap into this market. Whether you’re thinking about orchestrating seamless travel packages for fans, designing innovative mobile apps, or setting up exclusive pop-up experiences, the possibilities to create memorable ventures around sports and concert events are endless.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Event Travel Coordination: Specialize in complete travel packages for sports and concert events, including tickets, transportation, and accommodation.
• Adventure & Leisure Activities: Offer packages that combine event tickets with local adventures like hiking, skiing, or city tours.
• Pop-Up Hospitality: Provide temporary hospitality services like VIP lounges or fan zones at major events.
• Travel Apps for Event Goers: Develop mobile apps that help travelers plan their event trips, find local attractions, and connect with other fans.
• Memorabilia E-commerce: Sell event-specific memorabilia online, targeting fans attending the event or those watching from home.

Travel Trend #2: Eco-Friendly Everything is in

Sustainability is a superpower in the travel industry today. Many conscious-minded individuals want a sustainable trip where they stay in eco-friendly hotels and funnel money into the local economy and minimize the impact on the locals with innovative solutions.

One example of this is eco diving – where travelers chose to go to eco-friendly scuba centers in exotic locales like Mexico, the Caribbean, and Asia. Keeping reefs safe in oceans around the world is critical today – and travelers want to support that effort on their dives and vacations.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Eco-friendly Accommodations: Establish or market hotels and lodges that use sustainable practices.
• Green Travel Agencies: Specialize in planning travel that has a minimal environmental impact and promotes sustainability.
• Conservation Experiences: Organize travel experiences focused on wildlife and environmental conservation.
• Sustainable Transport Options: Provide or partner with services offering electric car rentals, bike tours, or other eco-friendly transportation methods.
• Eco-friendly Souvenir Shops: Sell locally made, sustainable products to tourists, both online and in physical stores.

Travel Trend #3: Solo Trips are Trendy

For many, solo travel offers a chance to focus on what you want to do – not what the group desires. That’s one reason solo travel is booming today. Whether it’s a spa trip to Sedona, Arizona or a quick weekend in New York City, travelers are taking solo journeys to meet their needs and make new friends, too. And the personal growth is certainly part of the journey.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Solo Travel Groups: Create groups or tours tailored to solo travelers looking to meet new people.
• Safety Apps for Solo Travelers: Develop apps that ensure safety and provide emergency services for solo travelers.
• Customized Itinerary Services: Offer personalized travel planning services for individual travelers.
• Solo Traveler Accommodations: Focus on small-scale, secure, and community-oriented accommodations.
• Networking Events for Solo Travelers: Organize local meetups or networking events for solo travelers in popular destinations.

Travel Trend #4: Rail Travel is Back

Train travel isn’t the same as in the days of old. If you’ve ever passed through train stations in Europe, you know they are central hubs in the city. And today, there are more stores and restaurants in these train stations to keep travelers full and happy if/when their train is delayed or while they wait. Technological advancements are making train travel easier, too, with online booking and more.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Luxury Rail Experiences: Offer upscale or themed rail journeys that cater to niche interests.
• Rail Travel Packages: Bundle train travel with accommodations and tours in each city.
• Railway Dining Experiences: Provide gourmet dining experiences on scenic train routes.
• Railway Travel Apps: Create apps that facilitate booking, itinerary planning, and real-time train tracking.
• Rail-Focused Travel Blogs or Vlogs: Create content that explores different rail travel adventures around the world.

Travel Trend #5: Everyone Loves Local

Meeting locals in the community is another top trend today. The reason? Authenticity. Instead of piling on a tour bus and seeing the local top-tier attractions, travelers can spend a few days with a local family seeing how they live and gaining a different type of travel experience. Travel lodging companies like Vacasa and AirBNB are banking on this trend, as they offer homes, condos, and apartments in locations where you can live like a local while traveling.

Swapping homes is another aspect of this trend where you can stay longer and even work remotely from anywhere with good Wi-Fi.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Local Living Experiences: Facilitate experiences where travelers can live with local families or in local communities.
• Cultural Workshop Retreats: Offer retreats that teach local crafts, cooking, or other cultural skills.
• Home-Swap Platforms: Develop or promote platforms that facilitate home-swapping between locals and travelers.
• Guided Local Tours by Residents: Use local guides to offer authentic and personal tours of a city.
• Local Artisan Markets: Organize markets or online platforms where travelers can buy directly from local artisans.

Travel Trend #6: Travelers are Taking Off-Season Journeys

Instead of taking your family to Europe during the summer, many people are booking later in early fall for less crowds and cooler weather. Late winter and early Spring are popular too, according to Conde Nast Traveller. With better prices in shoulder season, this trend isn’t going anywhere soon – especially with so many people working remotely these days and being able to move around more easily.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Off-Peak Travel Deals: Offer discounted travel packages during the shoulder season.
• Seasonal Experience Tours: Design tours that highlight seasonal attractions, like autumn foliage or spring festivals.
• Remote Work Travel Packages: Provide long-term accommodations and work facilities for remote workers during off-peak seasons.
• Educational Retreats: Organize learning-based retreats during the quieter months.
• Weather-Based Marketing: Promote destinations specifically for their off-season weather benefits, like cooler summer spots or warm winter locations.

Travel Trend #7: Travelers are Techy

AI is the buzzword today – and that includes travel.

Have you tried to craft a trip to Spain and Portugal with ChatGPT? You input the length of time, the type of travel you’d like to do, and it spits out a full itinerary for you.

If you’re trying to book a hotel or airfare, chances are you’ve run into chatbots to help you with your reservation, too.

And the airports are on board, as well, with facial recognition technology being introduced.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• AI-Powered Travel Assistance: Develop AI-driven tools that help travelers plan trips or solve travel-related issues.
• Virtual Reality Travel Previews: Offer VR experiences that let potential travelers preview destinations.
• Tech-Integrated Luggage: Sell smart luggage with features like GPS tracking, weight sensors, and USB charging ports.
• Digital Nomad Gadgets: Market or create gadgets that cater to the needs of tech-savvy travelers, such as portable Wi-Fi devices or solar chargers.
• Automated Travel Security: Use facial recognition and other technologies to streamline airport security and hotel check-in processes.

Travel Trend #8: Why Not Mix Business and Pleasure?

Why not mix the two? Travelers are doing just that – enjoying a little leisure time on the beach following their conference in Florida. With remote work so prevalent in the United States, many people are working from home and then traveling to see clients or attend industry conferences.

And if they’ve already been sent there by work, why not stay a few more days on their own dime and unwind a little?

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Bleisure Travel Packages: Create travel packages that seamlessly combine business facilities with leisure activities.
• Conference and Vacation Planning Services: Offer services that extend business trips into vacations, including family-friendly activities.
• Co-working and Co-living Spaces: Establish spaces in key business travel destinations that cater to both work and relaxation.
• Bleisure Loyalty Programs: Develop loyalty programs that reward business travelers with leisure perks.
• Executive Retreats: Organize high-end retreats that cater to executives looking to mix business with relaxation.

Travel Trend #9: Find Cool Locations

Some call it “coolcationing,” but it’s essentially seeking colder weather during the hot summer months instead of going to the beach and basking in the sunshine. With the globe warming each year, this type of travel favors more moderate climates in the hot weather months (Iceland, anyone?).

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Cool Weather Destinations: Promote travel to cooler climates, especially during summer months.
• Summer Skiing Resorts: Market resorts in places like New Zealand or Argentina that offer skiing in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.
• Mountain Retreats: Develop or promote retreats in cooler, high-altitude locations.
• Coolcation Travel Agencies: Specialize in planning trips to cooler destinations to escape the heat.
• Educational Tours: Organize tours focused on climate education in cooler regions.

Travel Trend #10: Restoration and Quiet Travel

With higher post-pandemic anxiety rates and most people today stuck to their phones for 24/7 stimulation and availability, trips to restore and rejuvenate your mental health and well-being are popular. Some call it silent travel, and it includes meditation and spa retreats as well as quiet hotels.

Business Ideas in this Trend

• Silent Retreat Centers: Establish or promote centers dedicated to silent retreats and digital detoxes.
• Wellness Tour Companies: Specialize in tours focused on mental health and wellness, including spa visits, meditation retreats, and nature walks.
• Quiet Hotels: Offer accommodations that emphasize peace and quiet, with noise restrictions and serene settings.
• Therapeutic Travel Experiences: Design travel experiences that include therapeutic sessions, like guided meditations or therapy with professionals.
• Mobile Apps for Mindful Travel: Create apps that help travelers find quiet places, book wellness activities, or engage in mindfulness exercises.

Want to hear a real entrepreneur’s success in the travel industry? Hear how Jon Harvill succeeded in travel by becoming an Expedia Cruises franchisee on the “Create the Life You Want” podcast.

Taking Off with a Travel Business

Now that you have a strong understanding of today’s travel industry trends – and tourism industry trends – you can make the best decisions when opening or strategizing in this industry. Today’s travelers tend to be younger (think millennials and Gen Z), according to research from McKinsey, and they are curious about travel abroad. That said, in the U.S., domestic travel constitutes a major part of the travel sector. For example, in 2019, expenditures by domestic travelers amounted to $972 billion, accounting for 86 percent of all travel spending. And as of July 2023, approximately 80 percent of U.S. adults had plans for some type of domestic leisure travel within the upcoming year.

You have options when you choose what type of travel and tourism business to start – good luck on your journey!

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