In a new report by Elegant Resorts, 99% of the operator’s customers said sustainable travel is important to them, up from just 29% in 2020, and 90% said they favour booking a holiday with a company that supports responsible tourism.

“During the pandemic, we watched as the world paused and nature began to revive. This, alongside an increase in nature-based pastimes during the height of lockdown has had a lasting impact on clients’ outlooks,” said Lisa Fitzell, managing director of Elegant Resorts.

Further analysis showed 90% of customers wanted to avoid overdeveloped areas, 85% wanted to stay at a hotel that has a strong responsible tourism policy, while 56% said they wanted to offset their carbon footprint.

“Responsible tourism is more important than ever before, and clients feel passionate about staying in hotels, resorts and destinations that are committed to a sustainable operation, as well as supporting the local economy. They are also keen to travel with companies that hold similar values and support responsible tourism. This is a trend that we anticipate will continue to grow,” Fitzell added.

85% of luxury travellers want to stay at a hotel that has a strong responsible tourism policy

In addition to the move towards more conscious travel, the report – which comes as a result of two client surveys last year – also concludes the luxury traveller in 2022 is keen for more meaningful experiences; is happy to spend more; is booking holidays with a short lead time; and prefers to book using the expertise of a travel specialist that offers flexibility and financial protection.

With travelling more complex than ever, 97% of respondents said they value the expertise of a travel specialist, and 98% said flexibility to amend their holiday without charge was important.

Travellers are also looking to spend more time away on a trip, with a 25% increase in holiday duration, while luxury travellers have shown little let-up in spend either: 76% of respondents said their budgets had remained the same, while 16% said they intended to spend more.

The average booking value for 2022 has increased by 46% compared to 2019 for Elegant Resorts clients, while lead times are getting shorter: 49% of January 2022 bookings are for departures in Q1.

76% of respondents said their budgets had remained the same, while 16% said they intended to spend more

The average party size has increased by 20% versus 2019, while interest in villa holidays rose by 30% and family breaks by 29%, showing how people are wanting to travel together with more family and friends, the operator said.

The report also found the risk of contracting the virus was of low concern to travellers now, with Covid-19 testing and airport disruption said to be the most prohibiting factors for travel. Just over a quarter of respondents (28%) said the aircraft experience would be a limiting factor for them.

But while concerns over the air experience had lead to a “huge increase” in enquiries for private jet travel, there were few bookings, with clients preferring to opt for either first or business class travel to long-haul destinations.

Only 0.5% of respondents said they have no intentions of travelling again in the future, mainly due to underlying health conditions.

The report also shows 43% of travellers have “changed their future bucket lists” as a result of shifts in attitude over the duration of the pandemic, a phenomenon that has lead to “significant changes to people’s outlooks, lifestyles and travel inclinations”.

Some travellers still have more simplistic choices, with 94% seeking a beach holiday, while 80% said they want to “relax and rejuvenate”. In the more recent of the two surveys, there was an increased interest in city breaks – with 80% of people wanting to take one in the next six months.

But the report also warns of spikes in demand leading to “significant price increases due to high capacity levels in 2022” for hotels and airlines. “We have seen [price] increases of over 30% for the same holiday customers experienced in 2019”, it said, adding availability and inflated pricing became “a major issue” in December.

Elegant Resorts’ traditionally popular locations such as the Caribbean (42%), Europe (27%) and the Indian Ocean (14%) remain firm favourites. The top five destinations booked in 2022 so far are Barbados, the Maldives, Spain, Greece and Italy.

But “emerging” destinations with a good deal of interest are also in the running, with Canada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, Portugal and Oman among the most booked with Elegant in January. There could also be a lingering desire for staycations, as the operator’s 2021 UK and Ireland luxury programme found interest among 58% of clients.

“2022 has started very well for us, and we are full of optimism – while 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging years, our clients have remained incredibly resilient and are keen to travel the world again to create long-lasting memories with their loved ones,” Fitzell added.

“This pandemic has changed us, as a business we have learnt to be more flexible and agile to adapt to all the complex rules and changes that have come our way. Our clients have changed too, their priorities have evolved and spending time with loved ones has taken centre stage. They are more conscious of their impact on the environment and more cautious when it comes to booking holidays with the expertise of travel specialists who can offer guidance, while financial protection has become their top priority.”