How travel industry insiders plan to travel in 2024: Sabre survey

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Sabre global staff survey unveils 2024 travel insights: advanced bookings, bigger budgets, focus on long-haul, revenge travel in Asia, and luggage concerns.

Sabre, a leading company in the travel industry, recently conducted an extensive survey among its global staff to uncover trends in travel planning for the year 2024. This unique survey, which included over 700 Sabre employees worldwide, along with in-depth interviews, has revealed some intriguing insights about how these travel professionals are approaching their personal global travel plans in the coming year.

Key findings from the survey include:

1. Advance Planning: A significant number of Sabre’s team members are showing a renewed confidence in making travel plans, with many booking their leisure trips at least three months ahead. This shift indicates a move away from the uncertainty that plagued travel during the pandemic, allowing for more long-term planning.
2. Increased Travel Budgets: The survey points out that a majority of the participants are ready to spend as much or even more on their travels in 2024 compared to the previous year. Notably, the Gen Z demographic at Sabre is leading this trend, with many indicating they will spend slightly more than they did in 2023.
3. Revenge Travel in Asia Pacific: The concept of ‘revenge travel’ – making up for lost travel opportunities due to the pandemic – is expected to gain momentum in the Asia Pacific region in 2024, following slower easing of travel restrictions in this area compared to other regions.
4. Preference for Long-Haul and Diverse Destinations: More than half of the surveyed employees are either planning long-haul trips or are indifferent to the distance of their travel destinations. The survey also highlights geographical differences in travel companions and destinations, with European, Middle Eastern, and African employees favoring family-oriented trips, while North Americans are more inclined towards couples getaways.
5. Concerns about Luggage and Insurance: There’s a notable concern among Gen Z travelers about lost luggage, leading them to invest in insurance to protect against this. The survey shows regional differences in insurance preferences, with U.S. travelers more likely to purchase flight change and cancellation insurance, and others opting for medical insurance.
6. Sustainability and Carbon Offsetting: Many respondents are willing to pay extra for sustainable travel options, with a significant number open to paying up to 15% more to offset the carbon emissions of their journey.
7. Ancillary Preferences: The survey uncovered differences in priorities between leisure and business travelers, with leisure travelers placing higher importance on in-flight meals and seating arrangements to ensure comfort and convenience.

These insights, backed by Sabre’s comprehensive data analytics, offer a glimpse into the evolving preferences and priorities of travelers in 2024, as seen through the eyes of travel industry professionals. This survey serves as a valuable resource for understanding future travel trends and planning strategies.

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