These are just a few of the trends predicted by Cheapflights.co.uk, which believes a number of the change witnessed in 2016 will likely impact the way in which we travel in 2017.
This includes a supposed rise in the number of air passengers opting for hand-luggage only, with Cheapflights noting that statistics in 2016 showed that 22% of passengers were already willing to travel with hand-luggage only.
As more carriers increasingly adopt the no frills model of charging “for anything they can” (Cheapflights notes British Airways’ announcement that it would start charging for food on board as evidence of “the end for all-inclusive airlines”), the company said the number of “savvy travellers packing light to take flight” would increase.
And once onboard their flight, customers look set to increasingly bring their own food with them according to the flight comparison website, especially as new EU legislation, which was enforced on December 13 2016, will “undoubtedly increase awareness of the high sugar and salt levels in airline food”.
Elsewhere, Cheapflights said the High Court victory of John Platt – the father who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter on holiday during a school term – had prompted “a surge in demand” for term-time travel this year, which is likely to continue into 2017.
“Analysis of flight searches to popular family holiday destinations including Lanzarote, Malaga, Gran Canaria and Florida showed demand for travel during the spring and autumn term-time periods jumped by as much as 50% once the ruling was announced. Perhaps emboldened by news of the case, family travellers on trips that see savings of over one thousand pounds by travelling in term time - skiing or Disney World - may weigh up the cost benefits of a statutory fine”, it added.
Meanwhile Cheapflights said it predicted a “bleisure boom”, believing that the lines of mixing leisure and business travel will blur even further.
Looking at destinations, the company noted that the US could suffer from the uncertainty surrounding its next administration. Andrew Shelton, managing director of Cheapflights said: “It’s fair to say that uncertainty around which restrictive policies will be implemented by the new government could trigger a Trump Slump to this traditional favourite and perhaps mean Brits delay booking their Stateside holidays or even consider switching to an alternative destination, such as Canada.”
Cheapflights’ final prediction for 2017 is a new focus on “green tourism” – and not the eco-kind.
It notes: “Protecting the planet and eco-tourism may well continue to inspire travel choices but the other kind of green will prove popular in 2017. The spread of the legalisation of cannabis means ‘bud’ and breakfast will see destinations such as Alaska, Colorado, Jamaica and Uruguay capitalise on cannabis.”
Andrew Shelton, managing director of Cheapflights, said: “In addition to these trends, my belief is that portable travel search is set to be the biggest step change in travel.
“Increasingly, travellers can expect text alerts for airfare sales, to get a price from their favourite voice-based Internet device, or find a flight through Facebook Messenger. We’ve launched Facebook chat, emoji and drag and drop search functions this year, and now 60% of demand comes to us from portable devices. It really is a case of travel planning on the go.”
