American Express Travel releases 2022 Global Travel Trends Report

​Tatiana Rokou / 22nd March 2022 
American Express Travel released its highly anticipated American Express Travel: 2022 Global Travel Trends Report which uncovers the latest trends shaping the industry backed by global survey data, American Express Travel proprietary booking data and by insights from travel experts.
Painting a bright state on the future of travel, American Express Travel discovered that spending on travel is outpacing pre-pandemic levels: 86% respondents expect to spend more or the same on travel in 2022 compared to a typical year before the pandemic. 
Tourists want to travel more frequently- in fact, 62% of respondents plan on taking 2 - 4 trips in 2022 and 76% of respondents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021.
As travel continues to recover this report looks at the motivations and considerations of travelers in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, the UK and the US as well as emerging trends shaping travel.
Top themes discovered in the report include:
The Rise of Impact Travel

• 78% of respondents agree that they want to have a positive impact on the community they are visiting
• 81% of respondents agree that they want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves into the local culture
• 81% of respondents agree that they want the money they spend while traveling to go back to the local community
• 81% of respondents agree that they want to have authentic experiences when traveling where they can meet and learn from locals
• 80% of respondents agreeing that in 2022 they want to be more thoughtful about the types of trips that they take and who they take them with

All Eyes on Dream Destinations 

• 49% of Millennials want to travel solo now to visit their dream destination
• 55% of respondents agree they want to book a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022, especially Millennials (67%) and GenZers (65%) 
• 72% of respondents agree that the pandemic has made them appreciate lesser-known domestic travel destinations more than they used to
• 74% of respondents agree they are willing to book a trip for 2022 even if they might have to cancel or modify it later
• 84% of respondents agree they like to visit destinations that have access to more than one scene (e.g., beach, city, mountain, desert, etc.) 
• 65% of respondents would rather take their dream vacation than purchase a new car

The Changing Landscape of Family Travel

• 76% of parents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021
• 70% of parents agree that in 2022, they are planning to take their first international trip with their children since prior to the pandemic
• 79% of respondents agree that they are most looking forward to traveling with their family in 2022
• 58% of respondents agree that they are more interested in multi-generational family trips than ever before

What’s Next for Experiential Travel

• 70% of respondents agree that they are  interested in cultural immersion and taking a tour on an upcoming trip
• 56% of respondents stated they held off on traveling for major entertainment events last year (e.g., concerts, sporting, cultural events), but have plans to return to these types of events this year.) 
• 52% of respondents state they are interested in traveling for personal gatherings such as weddings, birthdays, graduations or holidays 
• 38% of respondents are interested in traveling for cultural events
• 43% of respondents are interested in traveling for entertainment events