Workation – the future of work-life balance?

The Revenge Traveler is here to stay – 45 percent of consumers want to travel more than pre pandemic, falling into the “revenge travel” segment (up from 10 percent at the end 2020) with plans to increase their travel spending in 2021 – and elevated travel budgets aren’t expected to go away anytime soon.

[Warsaw, July 12, 2021] The  global Travel Trends 2021 study* conducted by Simon-Kucher & Partners, a global strategy and marketing consulting firm, revealed that 39 percent of leisure travelers still plan to book a vacation for this summer, while 30 percent already have booked their getaway. The study, based on a representative sample of more than 7,000 individuals across seven countries (China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) also finds that respondents do not perceive prices related to travel to be higher than pre-pandemic. 

The resurgence of travel in 2021 and what it will look like

While leisure travelers are enthusiastically moving ahead with their vacation plans for the remaining summer period and the rest of the year — in Europe, 30 percent have already booked a summer trip while 34 percent have yet to do so but plan to – things may look a bit different than before. Although price remains the leading booking criterion for travelers, the following three leading factors are directly influenced by the pandemic: restrictions in place at the desired travel destinations, governmental restrictions, and trust in the health system of the destination. European travelers will also be opting for more socially-distanced forms of travel, with 49 percent opting to travel by private car – yet, 27 percent still plan to travel via plane. 

Dimitris Hiotis, Partner and Head of the Leisure, Travel and Tourism Practice at Simon-Kucher, comments:

“The experience of the pandemic has, as we have seen before, changed customer needs and preferences. Travelers want assurance that they can go on holiday with no restrictions or risk of having to quarantine or having any restrictions in enjoying their holiday. Travel and hospitality players need to demonstrate flexibility in booking conditions and that they have taken all precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable stay to their guests.”

Workation – the future of work-life balance?

Nearly half of those surveyed internationally (43 percent) said that they anticipate taking a workation in the near future, thanks to the increased flexibility of remote working models. The most enthusiastic response came from China, were 70 percent said they are likely to do a workation in the future, compared to the UK on the low end of the spectrum at only 30 percent – generally, in Europe, 36 percent plan to take a workation.  In fact, 76 percent of those who plan to take a workation say that the ability to split their time between working from their destination and enjoying time off will allow them to extend their trip by a week or more. The most important features in selecting a workation destination are stable and high-speed internet/WiFi and a dedicated working space.