Predicting trends always has a bit of guesswork involved. Trendwatchers can look at data and extrapolate what they think will happen based on insights and observations. But human beings are fickle creatures and 2020 taught us that life can change abruptly.
That’s why I reached out to you to get your take on the trends you are seeing. I have written about some trends I have seen ( the links are below) but I also wanted to know what you are seeing at your business. And you came through! Many of you took the time to answer my short survey and shared what you think are the bigger changes at play, as well as what you are seeing emerge in phone calls, emails and numbers of guests through your doors.
As one of my favorite podcasts always says, ” None of us is as smart as all of us”. Here is a summary of the survey.
Who answered the poll
I have over 1300 readers from more than 18 countries now. Many of you I know personally, some of us have only met virtually and yet we are all looking to learn more about tourism and be the best Tourism Professionals possible!
Where you work
One of the things I love most about our industry is how many different roles, career paths and sectors there are. I have worked at small family owned attractions, a DMO ( Destination Marketing Organization), a large world class museum and even spent time as an adjunct professor in a Hospitality and Tourism program. Not to mention time put in as a meeting planner and a year as a receptive operator! Every role provides a different view point so I wanted to know what areas of our industry were represented in the answers. You are a very diverse bunch!
Question: What is an overall Tourism Trend you are seeing for 2021?
For this question, I was looking for larger trends that you have read about or discussed with your peers. These types of trends go past the local scene and give all of us some food for thought. The answers tended to fall into four categories:
- More local travel and local experiences
- Unique, special or new experiences that will make travelers want to venture out
- Delayed travel until 2022. This trend seems especially strong for group travel and student travel in particular.
- Last-minute travel. On the other end of the spectrum, are short-term bookings. Both for small groups and individuals, this trend seems to reflect the fact that we are all tired of being home for a year.
Question: What is a trend you have noticed at your business or destination?
I was hoping these answers would show us some regional variation and show us ways to capitalize on what others are seeing. Here are some of your answers:
- Pent up demand for travel
- Changing policies and protocols
- Changes made to your businesses and business plans
- The popularity of outdoor attractions
- Increase of local and domestic visitors
Want to check out exactly what everyone answered? Click here for access to the responses. The tabs on the bottom will show you the questions. And I want to give a special shout out to Jen, my Rockstar VA ( virtual assistant). Jen created the graphs and spreadsheet and is an Excel whiz so I don’t have to be. Thanks, Jen! And thank you to all of you who took time out of your day to enlighten all of us!
Previous 2021 Trends Topics
Click to read more:
2021 Trends – Does anyone really know?
Time to Increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
How Can I help you in 2021? Here are a few ideas!
DMOs/Tourism Organizations:
Are you looking for a way to provide value to your partners during this challenging time? Check out the Online Tourism Training Program with this link. I can help you provide monthly virtual training for you to offer to your partners/members.
Here’s a recent testimonial from Sarah Anne Rhodes of the Georgia Department of Economic Development: Sally was wonderful to work with to support our Georgia Tourism partners. We were able to have two education group sales webinars with Sally as our presenter. We received fantastic survey results mentioning her approach and the action items they were ready to get working towards.
We found Sally to be a great trainer and speaker to work with on our educational sessions. During discussions of content, she was always aiming to make content actionable, accessible, and inclusive for all tourism partners. She spoke about the reality of the markets and helped prepare our partners whether brand new to group sales or having focused on it a long time. Many thanks and kudos are in order for Sally Davis Berry.
My team will take care of registration, reminders, and even a post-webinar survey! Let me know what topics your partners need help with and we will develop impactful training. I am booked through the end of March but am booking new clients starting in April 2021. Prices start at just $995 for each training. Click here to email me and we can set up a time to talk!
Looking to increase your Tourism knowledge and skills?
Then check out Tourism Pro Academy. I created this platform in 2019 as a one-stop-shop for Tourism Professionals like you! You can check out free resources, courses, and other ways to work with me. I am adding new offerings this month. Click here to see what’s available.
Want to join a Leadership Lunch and Learn?
The Pennsylvania Bus Association has hired Catherine Heeg and me to provide a webinar on Social Media Success Strategies. Here is more information:
- Demographics of users of each platform
- Benefits and drawbacks by channel
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Best practices with a glimpse behind the scenes at travel & tourism industry examples