New research among 20, 000 travellers from 28 countries illustrate travel trends of 2021
Future of travel: nine predictions made by Booking.comThe travel industry and our way of travelling have been permanently affected by the corona pandemic. Booking.com conducted a survey of more than 20,000 travellers from 28 countries and revealed nine predictions for the future of travel. Travellers will look for more safety while travelling, more sustainable travel deals and develop stronger preferences for where they travel and with whom. People will also find the ways to combine work and travel and the appreciation for places close to home will continue. Travellers begin to look for a deeper value in the trips they book.

- Travel – a must
Although there are travel restrictions, the desire to travel did not disappear. During recent lockdowns, almost half (46%) of Dutch travellers indicated they would like to travel again. The time spent at home made us crave outdoor activities more than ever. 26% of Dutch respondents want to see even more of the world and 22% say they want to travel more in the future.
- The (price) aware booker
In the future, people want to see more value for their money. 37% of Dutch travellers will be more price conscious when searching and planning a trip and 25% will probably look for more promotions. Two-thirds of the Dutch say they want travel booking platforms to provide more transparency about cancellation conditions, refund processes and travel insurance.
- Close to home
The trend to stay closer to home and discover your own environment, instead of travelling around, will certainly remain for a while. 35% of Dutch travellers still intend to travel within their own country in the next 12 months. The love for travelling to destinations further away did not disappeared, almost a fifth of the Dutch plan to travel to a very distant destination by the end of 2021, compared to only 7% at the end of 2020.
- Online escape
The majority (89%) of Dutch travellers spent time during the lockdowns finding inspiration for a future holiday. 25% of the Dutch did look at potential travel destinations every week. But social media is not the only source of inspiration, 29% of the Dutch opt for a conversation with friends and family to stimulate their travel creativity.
- Safety for everything
More than three in five Dutch travellers will take more precautions for future trips due to the corona virus and expect support for the travel industry. 32% of Dutch travellers will avoid certain destinations, and 65% expect tourist attractions to make adjustments for the possibility of keeping social distance. Nearly half of the Dutch will choose to avoid public transport for fear of contamination. More people will then opt for their own car or a rental car to travel to and at their holiday destination.
- Attention to sustainable
Some 27% of Dutch travellers want to travel more sustainably in the future. Almost half expect the travel industry to avoid high season travel and overtourism. This also means that 59% will stay away from busy tourist attractions. In addition, the impact of the coronavirus has inspired almost half of Dutch travellers to produce less waste and/or recycle plastic when they can travel again.
- Bye bye 9 to 5 office hours
Working from home or from another location has become the norm during the pandemic. Booking.com sees a significant increase in the “working holiday”, extending the holiday by week or two to work remotely. It looks like the laptop will be one of the most important items in the luggage more than ever. It is also very important that there is an attractive workplace when choosing a destination.
- Simple satisfaction
Dutch traveller would like to experience the world in a new, simpler way in 2021. Booking.com has seen more and more recommendations on pleasant activities and things like walking, clean air, nature and relaxation. Research shows that six out of ten Dutch people have come to appreciate more simple experiences, such as spending time outdoors or with the family on vacation.
- Increased technology
Almost half (47%) of Dutch travellers agree that technology will be important in controlling health risks while travelling, and the same amount of Dutch people believe that accommodations should use the latest technologies to give travellers a feeling of safety. Two fifths want technical options to be able to reserve a table in a restaurant and nearly half want more self-service terminals instead of ticket counter.