Travellers are more likely to book holidays that champion local communities in 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic fostered an increased focus on community and supporting small businesses, according to new research from G Adventures.
The adventure tour operator, which polled around 4,500 consumers from its global consumer panel between July and October 2021 to identify consumer travel trends for 2022, found that a third of UK respondents (33%) said they would place more focus on travelling responsibly in the new year.
G Adventures said the increased focus on community and support of locally-owned businesses fostered during the pandemic has carried over into international travel plans.
The research also claimed 68% of UK respondents said the most important factor when they travel is knowing that their money will benefit local people.
Another trend identified by the survey was an increase in "workations", after 24% of those polled claimed they could now "work from anywhere", due to a global shift to remote working spurred on by the pandemic.
An increasing number of people reportedly plan to combine work with travel in the future, with figures up to 33% compared to 16% in December 2020.
Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, said the trends "clearly reveal" the pandemic has produced a "more conscious traveller" and have presented the operators with a "huge opportunity" for change.
"The pandemic has woken travellers up and given them a chance to reflect on how they were travelling before," he added.
"The data tells us they have become more purposeful and intentional about how and why they are travelling, where they are going, and are recognising the positive impact travel can have on local communities when they make decisions wisely."
According to the operator, the need for social connection among young travellers is "stronger than ever", after 64% of UK respondents aged 18-34 said they were likely to try a hostel experience in 2022.
Another trend identified was that travellers are reportedly keen to disconnect from their devices while away, as 53% of respondents want to take time out from social media and 32% claimed socialising and meeting new people was their top wellbeing priority when booking a holiday.
The report also found that 17% of people had increased their international travel budget for 2022 and 30% said they were less likely to take a domestic holiday this year.
"These trends point towards a seismic shift in travellers’ habits," Poon Tip added.
"It only takes a small amount of people to make a huge change and people are finally seeing how smart travel choices can not only make a huge difference to local people, but also deliver a richer travel experience."
An "overwhelming" 94% of Uk travellers reported that travel is important to their wellbeing and mental health. Around 60% said their physical and mental wellbeing was a "top consideration" when booking a trip.
G Adventures offers a nine-day Wellness Bali holiday from Ubud to Sanur from £1,199pp.