Why the future of travel will be more streamlined and more personal

It’s an interesting time to be on the road: Post-pandemic shifts toward blended travel have persisted. Gen Z has come of (traveling) age with a global perspective. And Americans of all ages are prioritizing experiences over products. That means hotels are serving a diverse range of visitors with distinct needs. But Jess Petitt, who leads Hilton’s global analytics function, thinks new innovations and attitudes will provide travelers with more memorable (and relaxing) vacations. 

Christopher Good: The post-pandemic era brought a lot of changes to travel. Which shifts are sticking around?

Jess Petitt: The summers of 2021 to 2022 were the strongest leisure-travel periods we've ever experienced in our industry, and people were reintroduced to travel in a different way — blending leisure travel with a business trip or having the option to work remote from anywhere. Historically, Sunday nights are the quietest, because it’s the transition between a leisure guest who is staying over the weekend, and a business traveler arriving on Monday for the workweek. We saw that shift through the pandemic, when extended-stay business travel was really hot. That’s now starting to normalize, but some form of “bleisure” is here to stay.

Good: Why is that?

Petitt: [The pandemic] created more of an appreciation for travel and the underlying human connection that travel creates. When people travel, they also care about being ingrained in the culture of the place that they’re visiting. You're no longer just traveling to that suburban office park, right? You want to be ingrained in the place and be a part of that local experience, whether you're in Peru or Ithaca, New York. We've done our own survey of 10,000 customers across nine countries, and it's really cool to see how consistent this desire is.

Good: How are generational shifts factoring in?

Petitt: We recently found that nearly two-thirds of global travelers are saying they're going to reduce their personal spending so they can prioritize leisure travel this year, [and we’re hearing that] especially from Gen Z and Millennials. That's a powerful shift.

Good: Do you think social media plays a part in that?

Petitt: I do think so. But it might not be FOMO — I feel like that oversimplifies the feeling that people have — so much as a reminder that this is actually possible, right? It’s that, “Oh yeah, I could do that. I could work from there next month for a little bit.” The accessibility through social media and through economic means, as well as just the ability to travel, it’s a powerful combination.

The reasons people travel are changing, too. Forty-five percent of folks across generations [say they are] traveling to reconnect with friends and family. It really does speak to the human connection.

“Eighty percent of customers and travelers are now telling us they expect to book their entire trip entirely online.”

Good: How else are younger travelers’ priorities changing?

Petitt: Gen Zers and Millennials are intentional about their wellness choices. For instance, we found 25% are avoiding alcohol before bedtime because of the importance of a good night’s sleep. And that matters for us because our customers say that the No. 1 reason they want to travel right now is to rest and recharge.

Good: How is tech changing travel?

Petitt: Eighty percent of customers and travelers are now telling us they expect to book their entire trip entirely online. That wasn't the case five-plus years ago, and the rate is even higher for Millennials and Gen Z. We deployed Digital Key, a technology that enables you to check in using your phone as your key, for the first time back in 2015, but adoption has increased significantly since the pandemic. Customers are starting to appreciate how travel apps reduce friction.

Good: Is AI a part of that picture?

Petitt: Looking forward, generative AI will allow humans, particularly those who are providing service on property, to focus less on the mundane and more on the higher-touch service interactions. But the next evolution of that is going be around content generation and finding ways to help customers determine the types of travel experiences that they want to have. Imagine a world where you have a virtual travel agent on your phone helping you determine where you want to travel to and all the details of the trip you want to take. We're really excited about that potential.

For further reading

• Americans still want vacations, but will we take them?
• As many as one in four (25%) Americans anticipate increases to their travel spending this summer
• What Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X and Baby Boomers tell us about travel in the year ahead