Identifying Insights from MMGY’s 2024 Portrait of European Travellers

The Global Chats panel members contribute their unique perspectives on European travel trends highlighted by the recently released MMGY 2024 Portrait of European Travellers

MMGY Global Chats bring together experts across disciplines and continents to share diverse insights around particular topics. This month Lucie Wesley, VP of Business Development & Marketing for EMEA, moderates the chat from her home base of London. Joining the panel are two other UK experts, Caroline Moultrie, President of MMGY Global for EMEA, and Simon Moriarty, VP of Research & Analytics for MMGY Travel Intelligence in the UK, and American VP of Strategic Planning for MMGY Trey Williams. 

About the Report 

MMGY Travel Intelligence’s most recent survey conducted across key European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, revealed a strong demand for travel as well as evolving generational behaviours. Tracking the intentions, motivations and behaviours of European travellers, the report elevates important insights that can assist travel marketers and DMOs in reaching potential visitors. 

Our panel of global thought leaders from across our organisation bring strategy, knowledge and  leadership to the discussion of emerging travel trends and the evolving expectations of European travellers. In this conversation, we uncover the shifts shaping international travel and provide actionable insights to help those in the industry adapt and thrive in this dynamic environment.

Thursday 17 Oct at 16:00 BST

Lucie Wesley: Good afternoon/morning! Thank you for joining and welcome to our Global Chat on European travel insights. I’m looking forward to being the moderator today and hearing your perspectives around current and forecasted European Travel trends. So let’s get started!

How do you interpret the trend of increased travel spending for 2024? What factors are contributing to the rise, especially among British travellers? Trey, I’m particularly interested in your point of view.

Trey Williams: Thanks, Lucie. I think there are really two sides to the story around increased travel spend … the first and most obvious thing that’s happening is increased costs due to inflation and other factors. Travelers are simply expecting to spend more because everything from transportation to accommodations cost more. That said, we broadly see ambitious travelers making adjustments in their everyday lives to be able to afford travel.

That can look like spending less on tangible goods or reducing the amount they spend on eating out when at home.

The other side to this tale is that consumers also WANT to spend more on the things that matter most to them. While the cost of travel has increased, we also see consumers splurging on amenities and services that they received a taste of during the peak of “revenge travel” in 2021 and 2022.

Simon Moriarty: Also to add, one thing we’re seeing is people wanting to make more of their trips, such as visiting multiple locations in one holiday, which would increase spend potential as well …

Lucie: Thank you, both. 

Do you see this for the British traveller specifically or as a trend across Europe in general?

Simon: It’s actually something we’re seeing across our global research, not limited to one specific nationality.

Trey: When it comes to more investment in premium services and amenities, it certainly applies to most European travelers. However, we do see it more among UK travelers.

Simon: Yes, us Brits are going to spend more. Us, and German travellers, compared to the rest of Europe …

Lucie: What are some key travel motivators you’re seeing play out in 2024?

Simon: A desire to unplug is key for many European travellers – exploring local cultures and enjoying nature.

Caroline Moultrie: The concept of SLOW travel is something we are seeing play out in many of the destinations we serve – spending longer in the destination and really living like a local in an authentic way is something that marketers should try to tap into.

Lucie: What are some of the ways marketers can do that?

Caroline: Marketers can effectively promote slow travel by focusing on storytelling and visuals that emphasise the benefits of taking time to immerse oneself in destinations and experiences. Things like highlighting the experience of immersion through local culture and authentic experiences. Showcase travellers engaging in cultural activities, such as cooking with locals, attending traditional festivals or learning historical crafts. This highlights how slow travel allows for meaningful connections with the destination. Also focusing on life’s everyday moments – those small, intimate experiences like enjoying a leisurely coffee at a local café, strolling through a market or exploring a hidden path. These all convey the idea of slowing down to truly savour the moment in a new place.

Trey: From a strategic perspective, we’ve been encouraging destinations to think hard about and identify the cultural pillars that define their local experience and integrate them into their messaging and visuals. Including local voices in marketing in an organic way is another great tactic.

Simon: Food would be a good starting point – local cuisine is a huge draw for many European travellers, and it’s a way to encapsulate the selling points of authenticity, localism, adventure, community and uniqueness. It’s one of the key motivators for many, absolutely. Not the most important one, and not for every traveller, but it is a key driver. 

Lucie: What other motivators are you seeing? 

Trey: A motivation that piqued my interest of late is just the idea of connection. We’re particularly seeing a rise in group travel (especially multigenerational family travel) across borders as people seek to maintain strong connections with others after a period where social distancing was the norm. I think we’ll continue to see larger groups traveling at once as a way of maintaining a sense of connection and community.

Lucie: Do you think destinations can offer or attract a balance of group travel vs. the traditional couple or solo traveller?

Trey: I certainly think most destinations should be able to plead their case to attract diverse travel parties. At the end of the day, traveler preferences in terms of experiences differ between couples and family members, so the “something for everyone” message certainly still applies. However, as destination marketers, we have to be mindful of the motivations of these different cohorts. Families may be looking for experiences that help them bond with each other while solo travelers may be looking to learn more about local cultures and communities and want to embed themselves through very authentic experiences with locals.

Simon: I think that depends on the brand and what their business model is, but I think membership would work as a way to balance that for some companies – encouraging people to sign up for a fee to get access to deals. Again, transparency is key here. And younger travellers looking for deals are the future older travellers with more disposable income. So play the long game, engage with Millennials and Gen Zers now, maintain that loyalty, and provide different types of holidays for them in the future.

Lucie: Thank you, Simon and Trey. We see Boomers travelling less frequently but spending more. How can providers design premium experiences tailored to this demographic?

Simon: Understand their individual needs and tailor accordingly. The biggest mistake brands/providers can make is assuming what people want from their holiday experiences based on their demographic, including their age.

The era of a certain type of holiday for a certain age group is over, if it ever really existed. People will still want things that suit their lifestyle, but by the same token, nothing should be off the table in terms of what should be available to them.

Trey: Yes, Boomers tend to save and indulge on bigger trips but less frequently, as you mentioned. Because they have these savings, the Boomer traveler will often go big on luxury amenities like boutique hotels and fine dining. However, these tend to be add-ons to their core interests, which lie in cultural and historical experiences and sightseeing opportunities. Using these experience pillars as a carrot and then promoting luxury amenities as they get further down their purchase journey would be a good approach.

Lucie: With sustainability being top of mind in all industries, what practical steps can travel providers take to encourage travellers to opt for sustainable choices, such as paying more for greener travel options?

Caroline: Sustainability is here to stay. Over half of travellers from Europe are eager to learn about sustainable practices in travel.

More recently, we’re seeing this trend down as health concerns turn to wealth concerns. Interestingly, the more people feel confident about their country’s economic stability, the more they are inclined to see helping the environment as a priority.

The problem with sustainable travel is that it is a bit of a misnomer as it relates to sustainability in a net-zero context. We are starting to see the narrative change to regenerative tourism, a concept that champions a whole systems approach whereby travellers leave destinations and communities better than they were, which is a goal that goes beyond just neutralising negative impact.

Travellers are becoming more intentional – people want purpose in their life and in their travel.

Lucie: So you think travellers will pay more or offset cost to make more sustainable choices?

Simon: Any price increases, or perceived price increases, based on sustainable options have to be communicated transparently by providers. People won’t just opt for the ‘green’ option if there is nothing backing up why it is a better option, and they certainly won’t just pay more based on being told they’re paying for the more environmentally friendly option. But there is room to bring more sustainable/eco-friendly/community-focused elements into the holiday experience rather than it being simply a case of ‘choose this airline’ or ‘buy this package’ – give people options so they can make the choice that works for them.

Caroline: I think it’s incumbent on companies to think more sustainably for the consumer to feel good about the choices they make. For companies, I would say make sustainability part of your operating DNA – Wilderness/Iberostar are good examples.

•Look at how you are engaging communities

•Choose responsible businesses as your partners

•Then invest in training the sellers of your product

•Invest in attracting the right type of traveller who shares the same principles of your brand

And there is some evidence to suggest they ‘say’ they would pay more in a survey, but the reality of this is minimal. As I said before, I think it’s the companies themselves who need to invest in sustainable business practices and then tell the story to their customers to help them feel good about the choices they are making.

Simon: We know that 42% are willing to pay a premium for environmentally responsible options – but for many, that’s just not a feasible option. So there are other considerations, such as brands/providers showing what they themselves are doing to offset carbon emissions for example. And 29% say they would actively avoid destinations that lack any sustainable practices – which is still a lot of people, but far from the majority. The key is that it shouldn’t feel like ‘our’ responsibility or a chore as the traveller. Travellers want to avoid actively doing damage but they also have an expectation that brands do a lot of the work too.

Lucie: As traveller preferences evolve post-pandemic, what emerging trends do you foresee shaping the European travel landscape in the next five years? 

Simon: I think one interesting thing that we will see is people seeking out more nostalgic experiences. But nostalgia (partly because of the pandemic, partly because of other external factors) is also evolving. So it’s not a case of harkening back to the olden days, but people wanting to experience things that remind them of their childhood, or a specific memory, even if that wasn’t very long ago. 

Comfort is a huge driver of decision-making because the world is so uncertain, so I think we will see an evolution of what comfort actually means – not just relaxing in a warm environment but holiday and travel experiences that provide those elements of familiarity, evocation of memories, a sense of escapism regardless of where in the world you are and how far away from your day-to-day you are. And AI/virtual reality can play a huge part in bringing some of those elements to travellers regardless of where they are.

Trey: Yeah, that’s a biggie. For me, I’m most interested to see how the desire for authentic, local experiences and concerns about overcrowding and sustainable travel (especially as Gen Z gains more purchasing power) spreads the wealth among smaller, currently less-traveled destinations. Even as “coolcationing” (or travel to more northern regions as a way of beating climate change–driven heat) grows in popularity, I think we’ll see lesser-known destinations pull visitors away from the tourism hot spots, increasing overall competition.

Simon: … and some of the better-known locations will continue actively pushing visitors away for protection reasons, which also increases potential for lesser-known destinations. Which could lead to something of a vicious circle effect, but could force much bigger, broader changes at legislative levels to protect natural resources and new expectations of what ‘tourism behaviour’ should be.

Trey: An excellent point. We’re seeing more and more tourism taxes being levied across Europe with good results. I suspect that will continue to spread and likely catch on here in the U.S., as well.

Lucie: Thank you for your time this afternoon/morning – it’s been an insightful discussion. I think we can all agree that the most significant takeaways are that travel spending patterns are evolving, slow and authentic travel is on the rise, traveller demographics are beginning to shift, and sustainability remains an important consideration for travel providers. 

This article originally appeared on MMGY.