Some trends which drove tourism in 2017

Gradually 2017 is grinding to an eternal halt. It's natural in the tourism trade to do an overview of what the developments are globally.

Curiously, what was successful one year might not work as well in the next one.

Millennials

Millennials are officially the largest generation in history, beating out Baby Boomers. As the youngest generation with disposable income, they have secured their status as leaders in travel and tourism.

They also lead in decision making. In 2017 they were influential in deciding what the major trends and tastes were.

Millennials are not shy about getting exactly what they want, how they want it. Operators might like to keep an eye on this group.

When planning travel, Millennials are used to having their options conveniently available to them. They want to be able to research and book their trips and tours online.

Active and adventure trips

Year 2017 has been an active one for adventure travel. These experiences include things like "an African safari, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico or Australia, or hiking the Swiss Alps."

In Ghana, Wango wango and the CITI Heritage Caravan have showed us that adventure is high.

Customer demographics for adventure travel lean in the direction of ladies (53% to 47%).

For 2017, adventure activities such as safaris, hiking and cycling stood out as best choices.

Female solo travel

Today, 80% of travel decisions are made by women. Whether married, single or divorced, women are leading the way and the travel industry is taking notice.

Today's female travellers are bold, independent and looking to explore new and raw experiences. They have their own say of where to take a vacation, how to get there and many are choosing to go solo. Tour companies simply can't ignore this market.

My own road pal, Ama Amanor has done stuff this year that would take four men four years to do. And my lawyer friend Atta-Aba and her team of Ghana GIRLS have also hit the road rough this year. And it doesn't look like you would expect.
Women aren't looking for the gender stereotypes that are often marketed to them. Forget the 5-star hotel and spa days, they want real adventure!

Responsible tourism

Global changes affect us all. More travellers are aware of the impact their experiences have on the planet and as a result, more are opting for sustainable measures in their travel.

As the International Year of Sustainable Tourism, the UN Global campaigns are geared towards the promotion of more sustainable forms of travel and industry professionals should expect a shift in the mind-set of travellers everywhere.

Travellers will be more interested in the environmental, economic and social impact they're making at the destination they visit and are likely to support companie s that embody these values.

Mobile photography

It shouldn't be surprising that in 2017 many more ways were found to document the experience of travellers. Given the brilliance of modern mobile phone cameras, it's only natural that more and more travellers are using their devices to capture these notable moments.

Tour operators and activity providers can benefit from tapping into this trend, as it will add to their marketing efforts. It's the perfect social media marketing tool as it helps to build up user-generated content.

Business and leisure travel

Business and leisure travel or "bleisure" is a favourite topic among tourism experts this year. It has been a very lucrative trend for tour and activity providers and some project that it will rise in popularity. Not everyone is convinced, though.

Bleisure has been presented as a rising trend for several years, but there is more data suggesting its status is more fluid than static.

Food tourism

The last time I wrote big time on food it won an award. Food is big. And when it comes to travel it always comes down to food at some point, doesn't it? Food tourism has become an emerging trend among travellers everywhere and tourism experts have taken notice.

Operators who are providing a food experience can benefit by ensuring it connects products with people and the traditions of a destination. With this in mind, every stage of the customer journey can be actively reinforced.

These experiences are closely tied to the culture of the location. Many travellers consider it to be one of the best ways to get to know the story of the place they're traveling to and it works as a valuable resource for tourism companies.

In 2017 food experiences were not limited to simply dinning out. It included cooking courses and food festivals. I remember attending one Oh plus one debate: the Ghana-Naija led Jollof Wars

(kofiakpabli@yahoo.com