Vision Taps Into The Trends

If you’re wondering what some of the top travel trends will be in 2016, Vision Travel is tracking 8 trends that it sees for Canadian business travel in the coming year.

According to Vision, some of the trends to watch include:

• Ultra-Long Haul Is Back – Newer, lighter and faster airplanes paired with new routes means international travel growth will be flying at an all-time high in the coming year. In fact, Vision says that we’ll see a major, technologically-advanced launch, pointing to the expected commercial roll-out of the Airbus A350 in 2016. The A350 is an ultra-long range aircraft that not only opens up new ultra-long haul routes (it can fly up to 19 hours straight), it also opens up new shorter haul routes because it makes it cheaper for airlines to fly them.
• Canada’s Super Hub – Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America and continues to grow year on year and Air Canada is now focused on establishing Toronto as a super hub for international travel. AC has indicated that they may be looking at expanding Pearson International Airport and part of that expansion could involve building an additional international terminal in the foreseeable future.
• Technology-enabled Independence – With advancements in technology, the travel experience has never been more seamless. Travellers can research, plan, book and report their activities all on mobile, and travel managers can dive into detailed reports like they never have before. All this technology is making business travel more efficient, but interestingly, it is also driving travellers to seek more personalized service, creating more demand for the expertise of travel management companies.
• Frugality Is The Order Of The Day – With the recent global financial crisis, companies are becoming more frugal when it comes to allocated travel budget. In 2016, Vision is already seeing corporate travel managers choosing the lowest possible airfare, fewer hotel room upgrades and capped spending on per diem allowances. Innovative payment technologies such as the prepaid CSI globalVCard is helping Canadian corporate travel managers set parameters and keep employees well within their spending allowances. Furthermore, these single use credit cards will facilitate payment for millennials.
• Tighter Security, Stricter Travel Policies – In light of recent global events, Vision notes that traveller security is high on the radar and companies are reviewing Duty of Care policies to ensure that any potential gaps are addressed. Companies will also be stricter in implementing travel policies, from booking with approved vendors to establishing protocols to mitigate any potential risks when travelling to high risk destinations, or engaging with “new entrant” vendors that are classified as non-traditional.
• Millennials Changing the Market – Millennial business travellers are changing the travel industry every day. As early adopters of social media and mobile app technology, they are putting the pressure on companies to become more digitalized in everything from hotel travel apps to on-demand car service. The app industry is growing at a rapid pace and we can expect to see more travel related apps coming out of woodwork over the next year.
• Business traveller by day, foodie by night – We see a growing foodies trend across Canada. In addition to a serious interest in what ends up on their plate, foodies are constantly looking for new culinary experiences. Business travellers like most clientele have adopted the foodie trend and the hospitality industry has responded with hotel restaurants adapting their offer, often including locally sourced ingredients that are sustainably produced.
• Integrating wellness and health into the guest experience – An increasing number of travellers are focused on maintaining their health-conscious lifestyles while on the road. Vision points out that hotels are responding with programs, new menus, amenities and services like gyms, yoga classes, or even providing workout gear to guests. Furthermore, hotels are now taking measures to respond to the growing health focus of their guests. For example, some hotels are equipping their suites with air purification devices to ensure that guests with allergies and asthma breathe more easily.