- The hottest souvenir: Globally, traveller bookings for classes and workshops almost doubled (+90%) year-on-year
- Health and well-being soar: Global traveller bookings for wellness experiences jumped 69% year-on-year
- Family-friendly activities: Family-friendly activities have become a firm priority for travellers as bookings shot up over 200% year-on-year
- Most-booked experience in the world and UK: Faster Than Skip-the-Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour
LONDON, UK, Feb 12, 2019—Classes and workshops, family-friendly, and wellness experiences are the top experience categories UK travellers are booking on holiday, TripAdvisor's 2019 Experiences Trends Report reveals. The report, now in its second year, highlights trends in the tours, activities, and experiences industry, sharing key insights into traveller bookings globally and travel trends to expect for 2019.
“Travellers’ focus on immersive experiences show just how much the tourism landscape has changed,” says Hayley Coleman, a TripAdvisor spokesperson. “It’s no longer enough to visit iconic sites, but instead travellers are asking ‘What more can I get out of my trip?’, ‘How can I bring my travels home with me?’ Experiences like a Cambodian Pottery Class in Siem Reap or a trip to the Mineral Hot Springs in La Fortuna let travellers get deeper into a destination’s fabric and give them the opportunity to take what they’ve learned - or return rejuvenated - home.”
THE TRENDS:
The hottest souvenir to bring back from a trip is a new skill: travellers are learning different skills during trips abroad enriching their lives beyond their trip. Globally traveller bookings for classes and workshops almost doubled (+90%) year-over-year. This was even stronger among UK travellers, as bookings for classes and workshops spiked by 96%, although it was French travellers leading the way, with bookings rising 137%, over the previous year. Travellers were dusting off their swords and channeling their inner Maximus last year, as a Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator became the world’s most booked class and workshop. Salsa dance lessons in San Juan, surf lessons at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, and a Cambodian pottery class were also featured in the top ten.
Health and well-being is high on the traveller agenda, as bookings for wellness experiences soar. Global traveller bookings for wellness experiences jumped 69% year-over year. New Zealanders are leading the way in the quest for wellness, as bookings for wellness experiences by Kiwi travellers jumped a whopping 362% year-over-year. Closer to home, UK traveller bookings for wellness experiences rose 75% over the previous year. A Széchenyi spa experience was the most booked wellness experience among global travellers, while a trip to La Fortuna’s mineral hot springs, and Arabian baths in Granada also ranked among the top ten.
Sightseeing and iconic attractions are a mainstay, but experiences must cater to the whole family. Family-friendly activities have become a firm priority for travellers as bookings shot up over 200% year-over-year. Closer to home, UK traveller bookings for family-friendly activities have more than doubled (+114%) since the previous year. While tickets and tours to the world’s top attractions, like a Faster Than Skip-the-Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour, remain the most-booked experiences globally, there’s a growing focus among travellers to have such experiences cater to the whole family - even the littlest ones. Experiences like a Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour and Skip the Line: Paris Louvre Museum Family-Friendly Tour are among the ten most-booked family-friendly experiences - these experiences let families see the world’s most iconic sites, while keeping everyone engaged.
THE RANKINGS:
The fastest-growing types of experiences globally:
- Family-friendly (+204%)
- Classes and workshops (+90%)
- Wellness experiences (+69%)
- Cultural and themed experiences (+65%)
- Outdoor activities (+56%)
- Watersports (+47%)
- Food and drink experiences (+47%)
- Private and customised tours (+46%)
- Sightseeing tickets(+45%)
- Cruises and sailing experiences (+44%)
The fastest-growing types of experiences (UK travellers):
- Family-friendly (+114%)
- Classes and workshops (+96%)
- Wellness experiences (+75%)
- Cultural and themed experiences (+73%)
- Watersports (+58%)
- Sightseeing tickets (51%)
- Cruises and sailing experiences (+47%)
- Food and drink experiences (+46%)
- Theme parks (+43%)
- Shore excursions (+43%)
For travellers wanting to incorporate these trends into their next trip, TripAdvisor Experiences is revealing the top 5 fastest-growing countries and destinations in the world (based on year-over-year booking growth) for…
Family-friendly activities…
Destinations
- Paris, France (+835%)
- London, United Kingdom (+520%)
- Florence, Italy (+441%)
- New York City, United States (+387%)
- Faro, Portugal (+348%)
Classes and Workshops
Destinations
- Kyoto, Japan (+266%)
- Venice, Italy (+244%)
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (+117%)
- Siem Reap, Cambodia (+112%)
- Maui, Hawaii, United States (+98%)
Wellness experiences…
Destinations
- Reykjavik, Iceland (+637%)
- La Fortuna, Costa Rica (+105%)
- Mendoza, Argentina (+94%)
- Budapest, Hungary (+62%)
- Chiang Mai, Thailand (+58%)
The world’s most booked experiences: 2018, UK travellers
- Faster Than Skip-the-Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour, Rome, Italy
- Empire State Building Tickets - Observatory and Optional Skip the Line Tickets, New York City, United States
- Golden Circle Classic Day Trip from Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Budapest Evening Sightseeing Cruise, Budapest, Hungary
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Guided Tour from Krakow, Krakow, Poland
- Moulin Rouge Show Paris, Paris, France
- Discover Berlin Half-Day Walking Tour, Berlin, Germany
- Edinburgh Castle Entrance Ticket, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Grand Canyon All-American Helicopter Tour, Las Vegas, United States
- Jewish Quarter Anne Frank Walking Tour in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The world’s most booked experiences: 2018, global travellers
- Faster Than Skip-the-Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour, Rome, Italy
- Chicago Architecture River Cruise, Chicago, United States
- NYC One World Observatory Skip-the-Line Ticket, New York City, United States
-
Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, Paris, France
- Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour, Florence, Italy
-
Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, and Bath from London, London, United Kingdom
- Priority Access: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour, Barcelona, Spain
- Mt Fuji, Lake Ashi and Bullet Train Day Trip from Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Day Tour from Munich, Munich, Germany
- Budapest Evening Sightseeing Cruise, Budapest, Hungary
Methodology: Fastest growing experiences categories and fastest growing destinations for categories are based on year-over-year growth in bookings from 2017 to 2018. Most booked experiences are based on 2018 bookings.
About TripAdvisor Experiences
With over 140,000 bookable tours and activities around the world, TripAdvisor Experiences is a one-stop destination for planning all of your travel activities. From traditional sightseeing to food tours, day trips, and local experiences, travellers can find it all on TripAdvisor Experiences.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, enables travellers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With 702 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering 8 million accommodations, airlines, experiences, and restaurants -- TripAdvisor provides travellers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travellers can find the lowest price on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel community of 490 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.
The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses, including more than 20 travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.
* Source: Jumpshot for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, September 2018
** 2018 Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2018
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