Six Travel Trends that will shape our marketing

SIX TRAVEL TRENDS TO shape our marketing for 2014 and beyond

Six travel trends that are going to shape our marketing in 2014 beyond...

The influence of the ‘millenials’

The Millennials are those born since 2000.  These 18- to 30-year-olds of growing importance to the travel industry and have some key characteristics and will shape the future of travel propositions for the industry. Specifically, the millenials are more ethnically diverse, more interested in urban than resort destinations, more likely to travel to follow interests or activities and more likely to travel with friends in organized groups.

The continuing growth of the Silver market

The Silver market is estimated to comprise 1.3 billion to 1.6 billion people worldwide by 2015. Of crucial importance to this group is customer service. The senior group travels primarily for rest and relaxation on either short or longer stay trips and prefer quieter and less congested destinations. Not only is the senior market the world’s wealthiest group – it is also the most demanding and show very little tolerance to poor or average levels of customer service.


An increase in conspicuous leisure

The ubiquitous use of social media and with it the widespread sharing of photos with friends, families and colleagues – has fostered a trend in conspicuous leisure.  Experiences  will become a ‘social currency’ signalling social status through unique experiences rather than through consumer goods.  These experiences will most likely include owning a holiday home, having the freedom to work from home, taking holidays to exotic destinations and enjoying active experiences

The rise of ‘creative tourism’

Creative tourism is travel that provides an engaged and authentic experience and that can make a connection with those who live and work in the tourism destination.  The ‘creative’ tourist differs from a ‘cultural’ tourist in that he or she is active and interacts with the locals.


The strength of luxury travel

Luxury travel continues to be a robust segment of the travel industry and has remained recession-proof over the last five years as other sectors have struggled.  There are now literally millions of millionaires and the number of affluent households are projected to double between 2012 and 2020. Despite the growth of the Asian (and particularly the Chinese) market, it is still projected that U.S., Japanese and European travellers will dominate the luxury travel market until 2020

The emergence of  multi-generational travel

The older the original baby-boomers get, the more family travel they are doing with a lot of that travel planned around milestone events. The multi-generational market is about trading memories, with convenience and value.

Most destinations have struggled when it comes to providing services and amenities that appeal to six and 60 year-olds alike, but some cruise lines have already taken a leadership position in catering to the multigenerational travel market.

Passionate Marketing - it's not what you do but the way that you do it!

In August 2011, sofa retailer Seriously Sofas opened its doors for the first time.  Twenty months later they will be opening their new expanded shop with the UK’s first FamaLiving concept store – a partnership with Spanish independent upholstery manufacturer, Fama.

So how did this come about and what lessons can we learn?

Lesson 1. Be Innovative

Seriously Sofas is an independent retail specialist focusing on bespoke UK and customisable European upholstery.  They started working with Fama 15 months ago when they wanted to add to their European product range.  Fama products are well priced, nicely designed, colourful, flexible and different and they knew we could sell it in the UK.  They experimented with colours, fabrics, designs and customisation - something few of their other stockists had asked them to do before

Within 12 months, Fama products became some of the best selling pieces.

Lesson 2. Get Talking

Spanish upholstery manufacturer Fama is an independent owner/managed business, established in 1972.  They have developed a reputation for comfortable, stylish furniture.  Over the last two and a half years Fama have opened a number of FamaLiving concept stores across Europe and North America. 

In January, Seriously Sofas took the chance to meet up with Fama’s owners while visiting the furniture show at Birmingham’s NEC and used the opportunity to closely inspect a wider range of their products.  Despite the language differences, they were impressed by Fama's attention to service and quality and similarly, they by Seriously Sofas genuine passion for what they do. 

Lesson 3. Believe in your business

Although working at opposite ends of the furniture business (Fama a manufacturer – Seriously Sofas a retailer) it was clear that they both shared the same ethos.

Both believe that it’s not just about business – it’s more than that.  It’s about putting the customer first and only selling it if it’s right for the customer. 

Lesson 4.  Be Passionate!

Fama have chosen Seriously Sofas as their partner for their very first FamaLiving store in the UK and will be opening FamaLiving London, from their newly extended premises in Kingston, south west London, on 25^th April 2013.

  

Fama chose to work with Seriously Sofas not because they were their largest stockist, nor because they sold the most pieces for them.  They chose to work with them because they shared their ideals and their passion.

Believe in what you do, do it well, and do it with passion.  Ole!