Will demand for travel look different in the future?

Suppose the travel and hospitality sectors are to recover fully. In that case, it is not only leisure travel that needs to rebound but also business travel. However, business travel is still minimal at present. The sector likely needs to adapt to the structural changes accelerated by the pandemic. Especially with the restrictions presented by the Dutch government over the last period and expected measurements for the next period, the sector feels a step back in its recovery.

In our latest consumer tracker results we noted the following results on the intention for travelling, feeling safe, and spending included for the next period. Below you can find a summary of the results.

Business travel

Regarding business travellers, only 13% are likely to travel for business the next period. 29% of the business travel is for work with a client, followed by 20% to build client relationships. A further 23% say technology has replaced their need to travel for work. The structural changes in business travel are changing the interplay between leisure and business travel and, therefore, are likely to significantly impact the entire travel hospitality and leisure ecosystem. All businesses in the travel, hospitality and leisure sector will need to consider how their current offerings and business models might need to adapt to thrive in the future. We also see that many corporate companies took the COVID-19 situation as an action point to strengthen their ecological footprint in their corporate travel policies impacting corporate travelling.

Feeling safe

The respondents' level of concern when it comes to the health of family members and others in the immediate circle has followed a similar drop for both Dutch respondents and respondents from the rest of Europe. However, in comparison to other European countries, the Dutch population is less concerned about the state of health of family members and others in their immediate circle, 32%, versus 55%. Furthermore, when looking at the level of concern regarding personal physical wellbeing, 32% of the Dutch respondents are concerned against the average of 48% amongst other European countries. Therefore, Dutch consumers remain the least concerned about health and finances. Lastly, Dutch consumers are becoming more concerned that prices for the things they often buy will increase.

Leisure intentions

The survey outcome shows a rising line in the leisure intentions the respondents have in the next period. Remarkable is that although the Dutch responses showed that the Dutch population is not too concerned about their health. The Dutch population is less inclined to leisure travel within the next three months than other European countries within their circle. Staying in a hotel seems to be the most preferred option for Dutch respondents. However, the intentions to stay in a hotel are divided amongst the respondents. So, no definite conclusion can be drawn from here. The most common reason to not stay in a hotel for leisure in the next period is that respondents, both from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, are not planning to travel anytime soon. In the second place, respondents are waiting to take a vacation once the pandemic situation improves.

Spending intentions

Looking at consumer intentions to spend more on dining out and takeout food, it is remarkable that the current figures show that we are on the same level of willingness as May 2020. However, when looking at the spending intentions to travel, Dutch consumers are now more willing to spend more on travel in the next period.