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Pet-forward charters such as BarkAir, K9 and RetrievAir have gained traction, while SkyePets is set to launch long-haul, in-cabin transpacific pet flights between Australia and the US. At Rome Fiumicino, the Dog Relais hotel is rethinking airport kennels with underfloor heating and aromatherapy, easing separation stress for pets and owners alike. As red tape falls away, pressure is mounting on operators to deliver genuinely human-grade experiences for four-legged travellers. Hello to multi-modal ‘Travel Mixology’ BLENDING PLANES, TRAINS AND PLATFORMS IS THE NEW MASH-UP Travellers are no longer loyal to a single planning tool or transport mode. Instead, an emergent wave of Travel Mixology – a phrase coined by Amadeus – sees people moving fluidly between platforms, technologies and channels to build journeys that feel both efficient and trustworthy. While 42% of consumers say AI helps them save time planning, 37% use it for highly personalised recommendations and 36% discover new destinations through AI, most travellers are deliberately blending AI with human-led sources. A typical journey might begin with a large language model to gauge big-picture thinking, move to Reddit or YouTube for lived experience, then shift to brand-owned conversational AI for refinement. New integrations are accelerating this behaviour. Google Flights’ open-ended destination search allows travellers to search by
Above L-R: Pet travel is going mainstream; Atlantis The Royal, Dubai: hotel architecture is influencing destination decisions
mood rather than place, while Expedia’s Trip Matching translates Instagram reels directly into itineraries. Quality content is king AND IT IS WHAT CONVERTS IN THE AI ERA In an AI-saturated discovery landscape, content quality has become a commercial differentiator. Expedia Group’s Science of Wanderlust study shows 71% of travellers say video influences their travel decisions, compared to 24% for static images, with long-form video generating the strongest emotional response. Trust is built through tone rather than polish. Travellers respond most to
transparency (52%), followed by clarity and confidence (46%) and authenticity (45%), with user-generated content playing a key role. AI-generated content is acceptable only when paired with human input; fully synthetic influencers trigger scepticism. The takeaways: clarity converts, authenticity builds trust, and human storytelling still seals the booking. Safety-first travel CONFIDENCE AND TRANSPARENCY BECOME A BOOKING FILTER Safety has moved from background consideration to decisive booking filter. Globetrender reports that one third of travellers prioritise destinations they perceive as safe and stable, reinforced by global safety rankings that consistently place Iceland, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand and Canada at the top. Travellers are favouring destinations with reliable infrastructure, clear healthcare access and transparent communication, while less crowded, community led places gain favour too. The upshot? Safety must be communicated clearly and credibly by destinations as it’s no longer a given.
TOP 10 DESTINATION HOTSPOTS 2026 BY SEARCH
Bangkok Tokyo Paris London New York City Phuket Frankfurt Bali Rome Madrid Source: eDreams ODIGEO
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