Travel snapshot: Turn summer insights into holiday wins.

Summer is the ultimate crystal ball for travel trends. It’s when we see how people are hitting the road (or skies) and where they’re splurging their hard-earned cash. So, as the sunny season winds down, what did we learn, and what does it mean for the holiday season just around the corner? Let's dive into the biggest travel trends that shaped this summer and explore how you can ride the wave into a successful holiday season.

Summer travel surprised us all—in a good way!

You’d think with all the chatter about a possible travel slowdown, summer 2024 would have been a snooze fest. But guess what? It wasn’t! In fact, sessions were up by a solid 13% year-over-year (YoY), and conversion rates up by 15% YoY. June boasted a 20% rise in conversion rates, showing that those early birds were serious about getting away.

Now travel is still seeing some softening in demand, especially airlines. Quantum Metric data shows that conversion rates are down about 5% year-over-year for airlines, with average order values seeing a dip of at least 7% in the early summer months. This is driven primarily by people getting a bit more conservative with their spending on travel (mimicking trends we've seen in retail for the last two years).

What’s driving travel spend? Events, baby! From concerts to sports games to festivals, 32% of travelers were packing their bags specifically for these experiences. This is great news for travel companies, especially as we head into the holidays when events and gatherings are at their peak. So, how do you build the right event-driven campaign? Start with taking a closer look at user journeys to understand where and how customers are searching for their next travel experience.

Consumers are getting savvy with their travel bucks.

As travel demands softened slightly, the average order value (AOV) took a bit of a dip—down 5% each month from March to July 2024. As travelers get more conservative with how they spend their money, they focus more on looking for value without breaking the bank.

Economic jitters are part of the story here. According to our survey, 21% of folks said they’re cutting back on entertainment, and 19% are tightening the reins on travel spending. And then there’s the recent spike in concerns around aircraft safety. With 55% of U.S. travelers rethinking how they book due to some scary headlines, it’s no wonder 22% are limiting their flights, and 13% are giving discount airlines the side-eye. Plus, a whopping 20% are digging deeper into the details before hitting that "book now" button.

This extra caution is showing up in higher cart abandonment rates, up 10% YoY. People are price-hopping and doing their homework before committing. For the average traveler, this isn't a problem, but for frequent travelers working to build status, that may be less appealing and thus harder to do. Airlines can counteract this by being clear and upfront with communications about their safety procedures and the extra measures they've taken since the incidents first occurred.

So to recap, how do you keep consumers from bouncing? Focus on offering deals that scream value, and don’t skimp on the safety info. Trust us, it’s what they’re looking for.

Mobile is king, but it’s got some work to do.

Let’s face it—our phones are basically an extension of ourselves at this point, and travel is no exception. A whopping 76% of travelers are using mobile devices to plan their trips, with 73% of monthly traffic coming from mobile. But here’s the kicker: mobile only accounts for 39% of sales.

At the beginning of 2024, things were looking up with mobile conversion rates jumping 25% YoY, but by the time summer rolled around, that momentum slowed, echoing what we saw last year. Still, mobile engagement is growing, with a 5% bump in page views per session. People are browsing like crazy, but getting them to hit "buy" is another story.

Part of the problem? Technical glitches. Our recent mobile benchmark report saw API 500 error rates shoot up by 124%, and forbidden rates were 83% higher than on desktop. Ouch. No wonder mobile abandoned cart rates are up 11% YoY.

If you’re a travel brand, now’s the time to double down on mobile. Fix those bugs, streamline the user experience, and watch those conversions climb. Because let’s be real, mobile isn’t going anywhere, and neither are your customers.

Best practices for the holiday season.

As we gear up for the holidays, here’s how you can make the most of these summer insights:

• Offer value, value, value: With budgets tightening, consumers are looking for deals that deliver big for them. Craft offers that feel personalized to their needs, be that a package for an upcoming event or an exclusive hotel offer, to win their business.
• Communication is key: Today it may be aircraft concerns, tomorrow it could be worries about holiday delays. Whatever passengers are nervous about, make sure you have clear, direct and real-time communications to put their minds at ease.
• Fix your mobile mojo: Mobile users may visit your site multiple times before they commit to a booking. To keep them on the path to conversion, your mobile performance needs to be consistently optimized.

By riding the trends from this summer, you’ll be set to crush it this holiday season. Looking to accelerate your journey from insights to action? Learn best practices from Wyndham Hotels as they discuss the five pillars of the customer journey and optimizing their digital journey to delight customers and keep them for life