Global Travel in 2016: Travelers Keen to Spend More, Hoteliers Plan to Increase Room Rates

Travelers are open to spending more in 2016 than they have in the past while many accommodations plan to raise their room rates in the coming year, according to the results of the TripBarometer study released recently by travel site TripAdvisor.
The TripBarometer study is the world’s largest accommodation and traveler survey, presenting a snapshot of the travel landscape for 2016, revealing domestic and global travel trends.

According to the findings of the TripBarometer study, one in three travelers (33 percent) worldwide are open to spending more in 2016 than they have in the past — and not just because of rising costs. Among those who plan to increase their travel budget, 49 percent said they will do so because “because I or my family deserve it.”

Another 31 percent said they would spend more on travel because “it’s important for my health and well-being.”

Meanwhile, nearly half of hoteliers globally plan to increase room rates in 2016 (47 percent).

Most accommodations are increasing rates to compensate for increased overhead costs (65 percent), although more than a third are increasing rates because of recently completed renovations (37 percent) or because of increased demand (35 percent).
Also, three in four business owners are optimistic about profitability in 2016. The majority of those who are optimistic say it’s because of local events and conferences taking place in their markets next year (65 percent). Also, 91 percent of hoteliers see increasing direct bookings as key for the future of their business.

Hoteliers also believe that their online presence remains important as 93 percent said that traveler reviews on the web are essential for the future of their business. 
Online reputation management is still the biggest area of investment for accommodation owners in 2016, with 59 percent investing more in this area than they did the previous year.

The TripBarometer study also revealed that travelers choose destinations for a number of reasons, including special offers from accommodations.

Globally, 47 percent of travelers say they have visited a destination because of the culture and people of the specific country and one in five travelers (21 percent) have chosen a destination because a hotel had a special offer or package.
Among the amenities that travelers will look for when they book an accommodation in 2016, air conditioning and WiFi stand out. Globally, 63 percent of travelers said air conditioning is a must-have when choosing a place to stay and 46 percent said free in-room WiFi is a must-have amenity — meaning that, if an accommodation did not provide it, they would look elsewhere.

In addition, the study also showed that 69 percent of global travelers plan to try something new in 2016. One in five travelers said they would try a cruise for the first time next year.

Conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm Ipsos, the TripBarometer study is the analysis of more than 44,000 survey responses from travelers and the hotel sector worldwide.
For the TripBarometer study, press here.
(source gtp)

Photo of the day..

Today at Plakias, southwest of Crete, Greece!

“The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.”—Terri Guillemets

Crete, the famous Greek island among the 10 best walking tours for 2016.

The british newspaper Telegraph published the list with the best escorted and self-guided walking holidays for 2016, including coastal rambles and challenging hikes, in destinations such as France, Italy, Greece, and Costa Rica.

 

Walking holidays are the antidote to the pressures of modern life. There is no real goal or to-do list other than to wend your way from A to B at your own pace, typically against a scenic backdrop. There is real benefit in booking a tour, whether it’s self-guided or fully escorted.
With your walking routes arranged, accommodation and flights booked and luggage transfers organised, with most meals included, the only thing you will need to remember is your walking shoes.

Read below the whole list:

France, Italy and Spain, with their varied terrain and enduring appeal, feature heavily on the list. There are also walks in Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, South Africa and Costa Rica, which offer varying difficulty levels.
However, most holidays in the selection are what we might call leisurely; even those which include challenging routes offer easier alternatives.
After all, a relaxing ramble is the best way to take in the scenery.

1. Rivers and chateaux of the Loire

2. The way to Crete

3. Road to La Gomera

4. St Emilion and La Rochelle

5. Costa Rica on foot

6. Along the Amalfi coast

7. Panoramas of the Swiss Alps

8. Trails of the Garden Route

9. From Porto to Santiago de Compostela

10. Tuscan Trail

The seven wonders of Europe, Acropolis is one of them.

Europe has so many treasures waiting for you to discover them.
 Europeanbestdestinations.com has selected the 7 wonders of Europe, the best monuments, and places that you must see all over Europe. Discover the Dom Luis Bridge, the Grand Place of Brussels, the Tower Bridge or the Sagrada Familia, a unique selection of the most beautiful monuments in Europe, among them the unique Acropolis in Athens.

''Put on your most comfortable shoes and climb up to the sacred hill of the Acropolis, the greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena.

 

For a holistic understanding of the whole site, follow up with a tour to the impressive Acropolis Museum, housing more than 3,000 famous artefacts from the Acropolis.

 

The Acropolis is definitely Greece’s most famous attraction, a landmark in the history of humanity and on the UNESCO World Heritage List.''

  

See the 7 wonders in Europe:

1. The Eiffel Tower

2. La Sagrada Familia
 
3. Tower Bridge
 

4. The Colosseum

5. The Grand Place

6. Luis 1 Bridge

7. Acropolis

Greece among the first choices of Australians for 2016

Flight Centre's Top ten for 2016

Flight Centre’s Top 10 for 2016 Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com

Read more at http://australia.etbtravelnews.com/271336/flight-centres-top-10-for-2016/

Destinations that dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2015 are now considered to be the must visit hotspots for travellers in 2016.
From Bali, to Greece and some home grown favourites like the Northern Territory, Flight Centre’s team of experts has issued a medley of ten must-visit destinations for 2016. Flight Centre’s head of leisure travel Tom Walley said the top ten destinations for 2016 have been selected based on previous years’ booking data, key factors such as what customers are enquiring about and what the travel industry has to offer in 2016.
 “Event based travel and up-and-coming destinations are high on the priority list for customers and we expect these trends to continue,” Mr Walley said. “Old favourites such as Vanuatu and Bali will continue to be popular regardless of the events of 2015 and we expect Australian destinations will also be high on the list as travellers choose to explore our own backyard due to uncertainties surrounding the dollar.”

1. BALI Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com

Read more at http://australia.etbtravelnews.com/271336/flight-centres-top-10-for-2016/

1.BAL1
2.GREECE
3.TASMANIA
4.VANUATU
5.THE NORTHERN TERRITORY AND TOP END
6.BRAZIL 
7.PORTUGAL
8.HONG KONG
9.NEW CALEDONIA
10. NEW ZEALAND

"Greece’s financial woes may have dominated the news headlines in 2015 but Australian travellers were not deterred, with Flight Centre bookings up more than 52 per cent. Greece’s default notice and resulting referendum was a major, world-wide news event with economist worried about the future of the Euro and travel companies concerned about the impact to bookings. Despite this, Flight Centre bookings surged with the uplift expected through 2016. Greece is also often found to be a cheaper entry point to Europe than London, Paris or Rome; when it comes to Greece, Flight Centre believes the question really is why shouldn’t you go?''

Greece’s financial woes may have dominated the news headlines in 2015 but Australian travellers were not deterred, with Flight Centre bookings up more than 52 per cent. Greece’s default notice and resulting referendum was a major, world-wide news event with economist worried about the future of the Euro and travel companies concerned about the impact to bookings. Despite this, Flight Centre bookings surged with the uplift expected through 2016. Greece is also often found to be a cheaper entry point to Europe than London, Paris or Rome; when it comes to Greece, Flight Centre believes the question really is why shouldn’t you go? Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com

Read more at http://australia.etbtravelnews.com/271336/flight-centres-top-10-for-2016/

PORTUGAL Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com

Read more at http://australia.etbtravelnews.com/271336/flight-centres-top-10-for-2016/

PORTUGAL Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com

Read more at http://australia.etbtravelnews.com/271336/flight-centres-top-10-for-2016/

Plakias from above: Paligremnos, the far end..

Plakias is the perfect holiday spot, located on the south coast of Crete.
It is not too large, and so retains the traditional Cretan friendliness, but it is big enough to have a good range of accommodation, tavernas, shops etc.
The beautiful south facing curved bay in which it sits is ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
The hills behind provide wonderful walks, on trails through the olive groves and beyond.

Amazing Crete..

Crete is the largest island in Greece, and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea.
Here, you can admire the remnants of brilliant civilizations, explore glorious beaches, impressive mountainscapes, fertile valleys and steep gorges, and become part of the island’s rich gastronomic culture.
Crete is, after all, a small universe teeming with beauties and treasures that you will probably need a lifetime to uncover!