Travel Recovery Trend Report - 2021 | Q4 - Expedia Media Solutions
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
2021 | Q4 Travel Recovery Trend Report
Maintaining
Momentum
When we last left off in 2021, we were adjusting to impacts from the Delta variant of COVID-19
but still seeing improvements, as highlighted in our Q3 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report. Then in
Q4 Omicron arrived. But throughout 2021 we saw promising trends across the industry, including
consistent global search volumes in Q3 and Q4, and more international destinations appearing
on regional top 10 destination lists. Plus, looking at 2021 as a whole, searches were up 70%
compared to 2020.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, consumers have learned how to travel under ever-
changing circumstances, based on their comfort level and local government and health
guidance. We anticipate that travelers will continue to adapt their travel behaviors and
preferences as the landscape changes. Year-over-year progress is encouraging, and we remain
confident in the power of travel and the resilience of both the industry and travelers.
In this Q4 2021 report, we share a snapshot of the latest quarterly trends, gathered from more
than 300 petabytes of exclusive Expedia Group first-party data and custom research. As we enter
another year of the pandemic, we will continue to share data and insights on shifting traveler
behaviors and attitudes around the world to help our partners, travel marketers, and the industry
on the continued road to recovery. Connect with us for more specific data on your region and
destination, and subscribe to our blog for more trends and regional insights.
With that, let’s take a look at the leading trends from Q4 2021.
JENNIFER
Andre
Global Vice President
Expedia Group Media Solutions
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 2
Q4 Snapshot
Appetite for Travel
Continues to Grow
Despite a bumpy quarter, there is still a
tremendous appetite for travel compared
to 2020. Global search volume in Q4 was
flat quarter-over-quarter, but up over 70%
year-over-year, indicating that travelers
are still eager to get away. In APAC, search
volumes were up nearly 35% over Q3, driven
by additional vaccinated travel lanes and
international border reopenings in several
countries, including Australia.
Search Windows Lengthen
as Borders Reopen
As more borders around the world reopened to
international travelers in Q4, and travel shoppers
booked ahead for the winter holiday season, global
share of searches in the 31+ day search window
grew 15% quarter-over-quarter, taking share
primarily from the 0- to 21–day search window.
Regionally, EMEA saw the greatest swing toward
longer search windows, with the 31+ day search
window increasing 30% over Q3.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 3
Q4 Snapshot
Consistent Demand for
Long-Haul Destinations
Building on a trend that started emerging in
Q2, demand was sustained for destinations
beyond travelers’ home regions, and big
cities continued to be an attractive choice
for travelers around the world. The number
one booked destination for each region was
consistent with Q3 standings, but APAC had
four new destinations enter the top 10 in Q4 –
more than any other region.
Vacation Rentals
Maintain Popularity
In Q4, global lodging bookings (including both
hotels and vacation rentals) were up more than
50% year-over-year. Looking at quarter-over-
quarter demand globally, in Q4 there was a
shift from hotels to vacation rentals, prompted in
large part by the busy holiday travel season and
vacation rentals’ continued popularity among
friends and families traveling together.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 4
Q4 Deep Dive
Appetite for Travel
Continues to Grow
Evidence continues to build that
travel shoppers are ready to see
the world again. Compared to Q3,
overall global search volume in Q4
remained relatively flat, but when
compared to the same period in
2020, global search volume was up
70%. Our first-party data is further
supported by recent insights from
Expedia Group’s Traveler Value
Index: 2022 Outlook, a global survey
of 5,500 adults in eight countries: the
U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France,
Germany, Japan, and Australia.
The survey found that 81% of
travelers are planning to take a
leisure trip in the next six months,
with North American and European
travelers showing the greatest
propensity to travel for leisure during
Q4 | 2021
Destinations Super-Regions | WoW Search % Change
NORAM
APAC
EMEA
LATAM
Feb-21 Apr-21 Jun-21 Aug-21 Oct-21 Dec-21
Source: Expedia Group data, Q1-Q4 2021
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 5
Q4 Deep Dive
the same time (86%). Furthermore,
1 in 5 plan on taking three or
more leisure trips – a powerful
opportunity for travel marketers
to convert eager and enthusiastic
travelers.
In APAC, search volumes were
up nearly 35% over Q3, driven by
additional travel green lanes and
international border reopenings
in various countries, including
Australia, Singapore, and Fiji.
Campaign Spotlight
+25%
week-over-week lift Unsurprisingly, given the
in APAC international importance of tourism to its
searches following economy, the Fijian tourist
Australia’s announcement industry chose to accompany
that it would reopen its its border reopening with
borders to international marketing designed to entice
travelers in November still-cautious travelers. As such,
Fiji Airways’ “Welcome to Our
Home” advertising campaign
highlighted the enhanced safety
measures the airline has taken to
reassure travelers, while display
advertising campaigns on
Expedia Group sites targeted fully
vaccinated Australian travelers
looking for a getaway.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 6
Q4 Deep Dive
Global Search Demand Trends Insights from the Traveler Value
As with prior quarters, week-over-week Index: 2022 Outlook revealed
global searches spiked around major that more than 50% of cruise
announcements and industry activity. travelers said border openings and
government-led initiatives have a
Australia’s Re-opening Gives Q4 strong impact on their likelihood to
a Positive Start travel, illustrating just how influential
Following Australia’s October 1 restrictions and changes are
announcement that it would reopen on traveler decision-making.
its borders to international travelers in
November, global searches increased 5% This eagerness for travel is
week-over-week. And during the week of complemented by an apparent
October 11, APAC international searches resilience in the traveler mindset.
saw a 25% lift week-over-week. We saw this in cancelation rates
for lodging, which remained
End to U.S. Border Restrictions Provides flat throughout Q4 despite the
a Global Boost continued and unpredictable
On November 8, the U.S. reopened its headwinds of the pandemic.
borders to vaccinated travelers from
33 countries, including most of the EU,
UK, India, Canada, China, and Brazil,
resulting in a week-over-week lift in
searches globally, and a 10% lift in
searches by LATAM shoppers.
Searches Spike at the End
of December
Global week-over-week searches spiked
during the week of December 27, possibly
due to travelers reacting to thousands of
delayed or canceled flights. However, this
heightened interest has been sustained
into the first weeks of 2022, with global,
NORAM, and EMEA search volumes
even higher during the first two weeks
of January compared to the last week
of December 2021.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 7
Q4 Deep Dive
NORAM Search Demand Trends
Cyber Monday Travel Deals Spurred experienced ups and downs
Domestic Searches during the past two years, the
During the week of November 29, year-over-year comparison
following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, indicates just how far cruising has
NORAM saw a 10% week-over-week come compared to 2020. NORAM
increase in domestic searches, likely cruise searches in Q4 2021 were up
spurred by travel deals promoted during 50% year-over-year, and bookings
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel were up more than 500%.
Tuesday shopping events.
U.S. Border Reopening Piques Interest for
German Travelers
Search volume for trips from Germany
to the U.S. jumped more than 300% from
October to December 2021, moving from
the 43rd position to 13th among searches
for Q4.
NORAM Cruise Searches Spiked with
Industry Updates and Announcements
During the week of November 22,
when multiple cruise lines announced
restart plans, NORAM cruise searches
increased 55% week-over-week. We
saw a subsequent 20% week-over-week
lift during the week of December 13,
possibly due to the christening of two
new cruise ships (Carnival Radiance
and Enchanted Princess) and the
announcement of Norwegian Cruise
Line’s seasonal homeporting in Panama
City. Although the cruise industry has
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 8
Q4 Deep Dive
Search Windows Lengthen
with Border Reopenings
As borders around the world
continued reopening to
international travelers in Q4,
we saw lengthening global search
windows. 40% of global searches
fell within the 31+ day search
window, a 15% increase over
Q3, taking share primarily from
the 0- to 21–day search window.
Loosened international travel
restrictions enabled travelers to
start dreaming about or planning
trips further out, following the
trends we saw in Q2 2021.
Regionally, EMEA saw the greatest the 31+ day search window, while LATAM
swing toward longer search was flat.
windows in Q4, with the 31+ day
search window increasing 30% over Domestic Search Window
Q3. NORAM and APAC saw minor In Q4, 60% of global domestic searches
shifts in search window share for fell within the 0- to 21–day search
2020-2021
Global Traveler Search Windows | Week over Week % Change
0-21 Days
22-30 Days
31-60 Days
61-90 Days
Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 Q4 2021
Source: Expedia Group data, Q2 2020-Q4 2021
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 9
Q4 Deep Dive
Q4 | 2021
Super Region Search Window Domestic vs. International
0-21 Days
22-30 Days
31-60 Days
61-90 Days
91-180 Days
180+ Days
Domestic International Domestic International Domestic International Domestic International
APAC EMEA LATAM NORAM
Source: Expedia Group data, Q4 2021
window, a slight decline quarter- experienced large share swings across
over-quarter, as travelers searched most regions. When comparing the start
for domestic trips further out. of Q4 to the end of Q4, the share of
NORAM, EMEA and APAC all international searches in the 0- to 60–
saw a lift in the 31+ day domestic day search window in APAC and LATAM
search window, with all three increased 20% and 10% respectively,
regions up more than 10% while EMEA saw a 10% decline for
quarter-over-quarter. the same period and search window.
NORAM international searches for the
International Search Window same period were steady throughout
More borders opened around the quarter.
the world, resulting in changes
to international search window
share quarter-over-quarter and
fluctuations throughout Q4. 40%
of global international searches
occurred in the 0- to 21–day 40%
search window, a 10% percent of global
decline from Q3, while share for searches fell
the 31- to 90–day search window within the 31+
grew 20% quarter-over-quarter. day search
window
Throughout Q4, the 0- to 60–day
international search window
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 10Q4 Deep Dive
Consistent Demand for
Long-haul Destinations
(with More to Come)
The trend that we first identified
in Q2, of travelers looking and
booking destinations further
afield—outside of their region
of the world—continued into Q4.
LATAM led this trend, to the extent
that five out of the top 10 most
in-demand destinations for
travelers living there were
located in other parts of the world.
Plus, non-APAC destinations—
Dubai and Honolulu—made up
two of the four new entrants to
the APAC top 10, with Sydney and
Singapore also joining that list.
In contrast, North America–based
travelers continued to book closer
to home, with Cancun being the
Top 10 Booked Destinations | Q4 2021
*New Top 10 destination
Seoul London Mexico City New York
Tokyo Dubai New York Las Vegas
Seogwipo New York Cancun Orlando
APAC EMEA LATAM NORAM
Sydney* Paris Rio de Janeiro Los Angeles
New York Istanbul Sao Paulo Cancun
Singapore* Copenhagen Paris Miami*
Busan Stockholm Orlando* Chicago
Dubai* Amsterdam* Playa del Carmen Honolulu
Honolulu* Berlin Las Vegas Atlanta*
London Barcelona Madrid San Francisco*
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 11Q4 Deep Dive
only destination outside the
region making the top 10 list for
NORAM bookers. However, this
tendency looks likely to change
in 2022: Expedia’s 2022 Travel
Trends Report found that 68% of
Americans are planning to go big
on their next trip, and many are
eyeing intercontinental destinations
like Rome, Bali, London, and
Campaign Spotlight
Paris in 2022.
Another enduring trend is the
renewed attraction of big cities.
As previously, New York featured in The destination marketing
the top 10 list in terms of bookings organization, VisitScotland,
from all regions, while all of the provides a good example of how
new entrants to the chart for North travel marketers have adapted
American bookings were major to the gradual re-opening of
cities, namely Miami, Atlanta, international travel. VisitScotland
and San Francisco. was able to widen the targeting
of its range of creative advertising
campaigns—from a domestic
focus to one including selected
high-value international travelers
(notably those from the U.S.,
68% Canada, France, and Germany)—
at the right time thanks to insights
of Americans provided by Expedia Group
are planning to Media Solutions’ real-time search
go big on their and booking data. This well-
next trip, and timed change of targeting has
many are eyeing seen VisitScotland’s campaigns
intercontinental generate successful returns, such
destinations as a Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
of 50 to 1 for U.S. travelers. For
more information, check out
this blog post.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 12Q4 Deep Dive
Strong Room Night Demand Growth
This quarter, among the top 25 global
destinations, Paris, Dubai, Mexico City,
Tokyo, and Madrid all saw double-digit
growth in hotel bookings quarter-over-
quarter, with Dubai moving from the 18th
position in Q3 to the 6th position in Q4,
driven by a 40% increase in room night
bookings quarter-over-quarter. During
the same period, Tokyo moved from 41st
to 24th, Mexico City moved from 23rd to
17th, and Paris moved from 12th to 5th.
In APAC, and despite COVID starting
to spread more widely in Australia than
previously in the pandemic, Melbourne
and Sydney moved up the rankings
throughout Q4. Melbourne moved
from 26th position to 7th, driven by
a more than 100% increase in room
night bookings between October and
December, while Sydney saw double-
digit increases in bookings during the
same period, moving from 22nd to 8th.
To find out more about these trends in
more detail, follow the Expedia Group
Media Solutions blog, where we’ll be
posting analyses for specific regions
and industries.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 13Q4 Deep Dive
Vacation Rentals
Maintain Popularity
In Q4, global lodging bookings—
for hotels and vacation rentals
combined—were up more than
50% year-over-year. Comparing
bookings in Q3 and Q4, there
was a shift in share from hotels
to vacation rentals – no doubt
prompted by the busy holiday
travel season and continued
popularity of vacation rentals
among friends and family groups.
LATAM had a particularly strong
quarter for vacation rental
bookings, which were up more
than 100% quarter-over-quarter.
survey fielded by Vrbo in the U.S. found
The average length of stay for that 60% of families said they plan to
vacation rentals in Q4 increased book future vacations earlier than they
slightly to 5.4 days, up from the 5.2 did in pre-pandemic times.
days seen throughout Q2 and Q3.
In EMEA, the average vacation Vacation Rental Destination Trends
rental length of stay surpassed the Domestic travel continues to dominate
one-week mark, at 7.1 days. the vacation rental space, with
most top destinations reflecting the
According to the 2022 Vrbo respective regions. Destinations within
Trend Report, booking activity Australia, France, and Brazil largely
on Vrbo in 2021 occurred on made up the top 10 Vrbo booked
average 2-3 months earlier than destinations list in APAC, EMEA, and
usual for several major travel LATAM, respectively, with a few
seasons, including summer and international destinations making the
the holidays, and this behavior is list. Kissimmee, Florida, was at the top
expected to continue this year. A of the list for EMEA bookers.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 14Q4 Deep Dive
As the season shifted from fall to
winter in the northern hemisphere,
American travelers sought warm The average
weather getaways and beachfront length of stay for
destinations in Florida, Hawaii, and vacation rentals
South Carolina—consistent with in Q4 increased
Q3—but destinations in Hawaii
slightly to 5.4 days,
up from the 5.2 days
moved up the rankings in Q4
seen throughout
claiming the 3rd and 4th spots on Q2 and Q3.
the list. Only two new destinations
appeared on the top 10 list in
Q4. Breckenridge, a popular ski
resort town in Colorado, took the
8th position, followed by Naples,
Florida, in 9th.
Top 10 Vrbo Booked Destinations | Q4 2021
*New Top 10 destination
Cowes, Australia Paris, France
Rye, Australia Kissimmee, Florida
Surfers Paradise, Australia Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France
APAC EMEA
Noosa Heads, Australia Playa Blanca, Spain
Nelson Bay, Australia Gérardmer, France
Dunsborough, Australia Morzine, France
Port Macquarie, Australia London, UK
Culburra Beach, Australia Davenport, Florida
Byron Bay, Australia Les Belleville, France
Sorrento, Australia Porto-Vecchio, France
Ubatuba, Brazil Kissimmee, Florida
Guarujá, Brazil Panama City Beach, Florida
São Paulo, Brazil Lahaina, Hawaii
LATAM NORAM
Praia Grande, Brazil Kihei, Hawaii
Bertioga, Brazil Gulf Shores, Alabama
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Sevierville, Tennessee
São Sebastião, Brazil Hilton Head Island, South
Cabo Frio, Brazil Carolina
Florianópolis, Brazil Breckenridge, Colorado*
Caraguatatuba, Brazil Naples, Florida*
Destin, Florida
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 15Looking Forward
Sustainability Focus for Destinations
and Lodging Providers
We tracked travelers’ growing
preference for sustainable travel
throughout 2021, and awareness
on this topic looks set to continue
increasing in 2022. As we saw in the
Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook,
59% of shoppers remain willing to
pay more for sustainable travel
options, while half will take
overtourism into account when
selecting a vacation destination.
But this trend is not specific
to destination decisions. The
sustainability credentials of lodging
providers are also gaining attention
from travelers. Data from post-stay
reviews collected from Expedia
Group brands shows terms related
to sustainability and eco-friendliness
being mentioned twice as often
in January 2022 as they were in
January 2021. According to this
reviews-based data, the top five
most prominent sustainability-related
amenities are:
1. Electric car charging stations
2. Solar energy
3. Recycling
4. Elimination of single-use plastics
5. Eco-friendly (LED) lighting
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 16Big Opportunities for Small(er) redemptions applied to more bookings
Destinations last year than in 2019.
Data from the 2022 Vrbo Trend
Report revealed that vacation Additionally, costs related to points
rental demand in secondary redemption may be offset by greater
cities in the U.S.—like Cincinnati, booking values for accommodation
Ohio, and Niagara Falls, New providers. Expedia’s loyalty program,
York—doubled year-over-year, Expedia Rewards, consistently sees
and 49% of respondents in the average booking values up to 13% higher
Travel Value Index: 2022 Outlook from members compared to bookings
survey said they would choose from non-members.
a less crowded destination in an
effort to adapt their travel plans Growth in loyalty program membership
around the pandemic. Looking also points to a big year ahead. As an
ahead to 2022, these trends may example, 140% more travelers joined
trickle down to other regions Expedia Rewards in December 2021
and traveler groups, creating versus December 2019.
an opportunity for emerging
destinations outside of major
metro areas to target travelers
looking for a mix of outdoor
recreation and urban cityscapes.
Important Year for Loyalty Programs
Another notable finding in the
Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook
was that 40% of travelers intend to
use loyalty points for trips this year.
Hotels.com Rewards, the Hotels.com
loyalty program, started seeing
this trend emerge in 2021, with
Ready For more specifics on our traveler data and insights, and how we can
to get help with recovery, reach out to your Expedia Group Media Solutions
started? representative or Contact Us on our website.
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions 17Expedia Group Media Solutions is a global travel advertising platform
that connects marketers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the
Expedia Group brands. With our exclusive access to 300 petabytes of
Expedia Group traveler search and booking data, we offer advertisers
actionable insights, sophisticated targeting, and full-funnel results reporting.
Our suite of solutions includes display, sponsored listings, audience
extension, co-op campaigns, and custom creative campaigns – all
designed for our branded sites globally to add value to our travel shoppers
and deliver on the objectives of our advertising partners. We bring more
than 20 years of travel and media experience to help our advertising
partners inspire, engage, and convert travelers for meaningful results.
For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com.
LEARN MORE ABOUT US: FOLLOW US ON:
OUR ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS LINKEDIN
advertising.expedia.com linkedin.com/company/expedia-group-
media-solutions/
DISCOVER MORE INSIGHTS TWITTER
advertising.expedia.com/blog twitter.com/expediamedia
2021 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved.You can also read
