Unit 2- The UK T&T Industry- LO by

Technological Innovations

249543_3 — 2025-01-06 15:52:48 UTC

Cost of living crisis

249543_3 — 2025-01-16 10:40:16 UTC

The cost of living crisis refers to a period of time which the cost of everyday things e.g bills and food increase in price majorly.

In october 2022, prices of consumer goods and services rose by 9.6% which was the fastest rate in 4 decades.

If the cost of living is increasing, there is less dissposable income for people to spend on luxuries they chose.

Things that contributed are brexit beacuse of leaviing the europian union the pound is weaker meaning that people get less for their money.

The next thing is covid 19 because as a result of a chain issue resulting in no supplies and prices then rising.

War is another factor because it distrupted other exports inlcuding foods, metals and gas.

It's impacted people being able to afford holidays abroad, and therefore more people are looking to book staycations.

Technology

249543_3 — 2025-01-16 10:40:26 UTC

The preferred method of booking a vacation before the rise of the internet was through a travel agency. Nonetheless, the number of people making reservations through travel agencies has stayed consistent over the past few years, with 35% of people having made a reservation through a travel agency in the previous 12 months. Our smartphones have evolved into our greatest restaurant locators, travel agencies, tour guides, maps, and more. It stays by our side the whole while we are buying. In fact, according to Trip Advisor, 45% of users complete all of their vacation-related tasks on their smartphones. Hilton has launched an app that allows users to select their own room and notify Hilton of their arrival. TUI cruises use a software called Navigate. Customers can use it to reserve tables at their specialty restaurants, schedule trips, and schedule picture shoots. Customers may view their itinerary and the cruise schedule on Navigate, which also provides information about what is occurring that day and where they can participate. Airlines now understand the value of Wi-Fi and how their consumers value the capability. Depending on the airline that passengers are flying with, Wi-Fi is available in the air. While many airlines, such as British Airways, charge a nominal fee for Wi-Fi, a few, like Emirates and Turkish Airlines, offer free Wi-Fi onboard.

Grey market

249543_3 — 2025-01-21 13:43:46 UTC

The grey market have more disposable income and more free time making them an important customer type for travel and tourism organisation

Millennials have changed the travel and tourism industry by staying at home for longer therefore not going out let alone many holidays - this also applies for staying in education for longer because they get less chance to go on holidays even if they liked to.

Solo travellers as a global trend continues to grow and makes up around 18% of global bookings, solo travel is becoming more and more popular and has increased by 7% in the last year alone. Hotelscan.com noticed 170% increased in the last 18 months for those looking to book a room for themselves with popular destinations including Thailand, Portugal and Vietnam. Even cruises had to adjust their offerings to cater for higher numbers of passengers travelling alone. Norwegian cruises adapted by launching studio rooms designed for single travellers.

Changing Consumer Trends

249543_3 — 2025-01-21 14:07:46 UTC

Because of the ever-evolving nature of our society, our needs as consumers also undergo constant change. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers have recently rediscovered their passion for travel and seeing new places, as well as the positive effects of their travels on society. As a result, current trends have accelerated and new ones have formed. Travel and tourism organizations have long prioritized sustainability, which is about taking care of the environment. According to Mintel statistics, 75% of travelers wish to take more environmentally friendly actions. According to the same survey, 27% of respondents in the UK concur that environmental issues are now more important than they were before to the epidemic.According to a Booking.com poll, UK travelers have been implementing new travel habits to make sure they are being more environmentally friendly. The findings are as follows: 56% of UK tourists switch off the air conditioner at their lodgings when they are not present, a 33% increase from 2022. 70% of UK tourists reuse the same towel more than once, a 36% increase from 2022. 54% of British people use reusable water bottles, which is 22% more than in 2022.

British Airways discontinued using plastic for retail bags, water bottles, packaging, and drink stirrers in 2020. They swapped them out for eco-friendly substitutes made of recycled plastic, paper, and bamboo. Although it may seem like a minor adjustment, it has had a significant impact, and British Airways hoped that these modifications would lead to the annual removal of 700 tons of single-use plastic from their flights. Since 2019, Emirates has also been working to reduce waste from single-use plastics. The airline started by merely switching from plastic straws to paper ones, and then switching from plastic to paper bags for in-flight purchases. Other sustainability initiatives were adopted by the firm, like recycling plastic bottles served on flights and utilizing blankets made from recycled plastic bottles. They think that by making these adjustments, more than 80 million single-use goods may avoid landfills.

The amount of people who have taken a cruise in the last year has not grown and they haven't declined however the cruise industry has an excellent repeat market where more than half of the people who have taken a cruise in the last 12 months are planning on taking another one in the next year. This report has found the most popular cruise types, with the most popular being ocean, then adult, then river, then cruise around the UK and then no-fly. Over the coming years the cruise market in the UK is expected to grow at a faster pace than the hotel overseas holiday market. And that the younger generation shows a high interest.