News 24.12.2020

Looking Back in 2020: Travel & Hospitality

This year, the travel sector was forced to stop, reflect and evolve, giving rise to literary tourism and near-far destinations, writes LS:N’s travel lead Holly Friend.

The Trend: Before & After Travel

The Upper House, Hong Kong
The Upper House, Hong Kong
The Upper House, Hong Kong

Before travel restrictions caused the globe to stand still, we saw how brands were finding ways to future-proof their customer relationships beyond travel, providing services that elevated the Before & After Travel experience.

In a survey, travel providers were falling short of travellers’ expectations and failing to deliver on their priorities, according to a survey by Expedia Partner Solutions. The survey found that more than a quarter of travellers wish providers would place more emphasis on customer service. Upgrading that level of customer service, Rosewood’s Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos arranged butlers to greet customers at their front door and drive them to the airport, with a variety of personalised gifts along the way.

Meanwhile, Charleston hotel Zero George found a way to encourage visitors to continue positive habits after returning home. The hotel joined forces with meal delivery service Sakara to offer a meal plan that aims to establish healthy eating routines in the days following a holiday. ‘It alleviates the post-vacation blues and gives travellers something to look forward to when they get back,' says Vinson Petrillo, executive chef at Zero George.

The Big Idea: Imagination Travel

Jacqui Kennedy Google Street View, @streetview.portraits Jacqui Kennedy Google Street View, @streetview.portraits

The clunky headsets associated with virtual tourism were swapped for the power of the human mind in 2020, as the rise of Imagination Travel offered new opportunities to explore countries from home.

Some travel agencies repositioned entire destinations – such as Chile – as direct-to-consumer subscription brands. In April, the country's tourism board launched Musical Tourism, with music clips for consumers to listen to at home; Couch Tourism, a marathon of 10 films about Chile that paint a portrait of Chilean landscapes and people; and Wine Tourism, in which travellers’ can receive local wines and learn about the country’s agricultural heritage.

As consumers mourned the death of shopping holidays, we saw brands such as Brother Vellies launch Something Special, a home goods programme in which subscribers receive one ethically made item per month hand-crafted by global artisans from countries such as South Africa to Mexico. In a similar vein, the Splitcha app pointed to a future in which consumers can shop like a local anywhere.

The Campaign: Wild Detectives’ bookshop tourism

Book a Trip by The Wild Detectives

While travel operators faced uncertainty in planning their communications, one of the most innovative campaigns we saw this year wasn't from a travel brand at all – it was from Wild Detectives bookstore.

When the Dallas-based bookstore and café closed due to lockdown measures, it turned to agency partner Dieste to launch Book a Trip, an interactive platform that masquerades as a travel booking website. Visitors to the site were offered deals such as ‘Barcelona for $14’. Other destinations available included Rio, Alaska and Havana.

When a customer ‘booked’ one of these trips, they could explore different books for sale that offer an immersive glimpse into their chosen destination. With the slogan ‘worldwide destinations delivered to your door’, the brand demonstrated how the act of travelling is not necessarily a physical movement and can be achieved from the comfort of our homes.

The Interview: The Human Hotel’s post-pandemic shared stays

Human Hotel Human Hotel

With the pandemic changing how we think about the sharing economy, Martin Rosengaard, co-founder of Human Hotel, talked to LS:N Global about how it could lead to a home-sharing revolution.

With Covid-19 driving a push towards hyper-local and eco-friendly travel, Rosengaard noted how this attitude has been manifesting for years. 'Seventy-five percent of Europeans live in cities, and it's exciting to think that I can have a bigger experience in my own city if I'm simply placed into a different environment,' he says. 'There’s something to be said for understanding why was it that we travelled, and what reaction we were looking for.

What's more, the sharing economy could provide new opportunities for the travel market, even in a world newly wary of sharing. 'If you look at our lives in lockdown right now, this is the real home-sharing,' Rosengaard explains. 'This [during Covid-19] is the perfect time to rethink the potential of the home. Could we start changing apartments every other week with our neighbours?'

The Space: Hygge Circles Ugakei

Arriving at the Center House by Third Nature, Structured Environment and Henrik Innovation Arriving at the Center House by Third Nature, Structured Environment and Henrik Innovation

In summer 2020, it was announced that outdoor brand Nordisk is planning to bring a slice of Danish hygge to Japan, imagining a future in which foreign destinations are accessible on our home turf.

In a collaboration with the Danish embassy in Japan, the luxury Hygge Circles Ugakei site is due to open in 2021, located among the Uga Valley's dense forests and natural waterfalls. The site will offer a variety of accommodation options, including permanent tents and cabins, alongside communal outdoor facilities.

Appealing to Japanese interest in hygge – the Danish concept of feeling cosy and content – as well as Denmark's sustainability and design credentials, the site will provide education on eco-conscious and positive living. ‘At Nordisk, we believe that nature is a luxury that is free for all, and that spending time outside simply improves your life,’ says Erik J Møller, the brand's CEO.

Download the Future Forecast 2021 report

Now that you know what shaped 2020, discover what’s on the horizon. Download our Future Forecast 2021 report comprising 50 new behavioural patterns across 10 key consumer sectors, expert opinion pieces and interviews with global innovators.

Previous News Articles
Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

News

Cash App taps Timothée Chalamet for youth-friendly money talk

Cash App has launched an integrated brand campaign featuring Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet which aims to foster intergenerational...
Finance : Gen Z : Youth
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Beauty : The Synthocene Era : Virtual Beauty
Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

News

Stat: Southeast Asia is TikTok’s largest advertising audience

Southeast Asia now accounts for nearly a quarter of TikTok’s global advertising audience, according to the Digital 2025: July Statshot report.
Statistic : Stat : Southeast Asia
Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

News

Spktrl’s AI diamond ring aims to cut screen time

Parisian start-up Spktrl is reimagining wearable technology with the launch of its AI-powered Light Ring, a piece of high jewellery designed to cur...
Wellness : Augmented Human : The Synthocene Era
Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

News

Represent launches in-person fitness competition 247 Mission Rivington

British fashion brand Represent has held its first-ever fitness event, 247 Mission Rivington, with 100 athletes competing in a 12‑hour endurance ch...
Sport : Fashion : Fitness
Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

News

Stat: Technological innovation is driving the future of beauty

Wealth divides, digital tools and regional identity are reshaping the international beauty market, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Volume...
Statistic : Stat : Beauty
AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

News

AI-generated images of animals in plastic help WWF-Korea raise awareness about pollution

WWF-Korea has launched Animal Trash Fashion, a powerful out-of-home campaign using AI to starkly illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollu...
Sustainability : Design : Advertising
Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

News

Rixo launches pre-loved resale platform

British fashion brand Rixo is expanding its circular ambitions with the launch of Rixo Pre-Loved, a resale platform where customers buy and sell it...
Retail : Fashion : Sutainability
Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

News

Stat: Global business travel spending hits historic high

Business travel is set to reach a record £1.18 trillion ($1.57 trillion, €1.36 trillion) by the end of 2025, according to ...
Stat : Statistic : Global Travel Market
Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

News

Axe gamifies fragrance sampling with arcade-inspired bus stop activation

Axe is making fragrance sampling fun again with a new campaign for its Cherry Fizz body spray.
Advertising : Fragrance : Retail
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN