Skyscanner’s data highlights increased confidence & preference for shorter trips, ET TravelWorld

Global travel platform Skyscanner has released its latest Horizons report, providing valuable insights into booking trends, destination preferences, and trending travel hotspots across the APAC regions for June to August 2024. The report reveals a significant shift in traveller behaviour, with a notable increase in booking windows compared to the previous year.

Travellers across the APAC region are displaying greater confidence by planning trips further ahead, marking a return to traditional seasonality in travel for 2024. Notably, there has been a 2 per cent rise in bookings made over 90 days in advance, with booking windows of two months or more constituting over a third of the demand in the APAC region.

Preference for Intra-Regional Travel
APAC travellers are showing a preference for intra-regional destinations, with a decline in trips to Europe compared to previous years. The region is witnessing a resurgence in seat capacity, prompting travellers to opt for short or medium-haul trips, including domestic travel, as a budget-conscious approach to manage costs effectively.

Shorter Trip Lengths and Popular Destinations
The report highlights that average trip lengths to popular destinations are either slightly down or remaining flat compared to the previous year across all regions. In APAC, well-known European and US cities continue to be top choices, with Athens experiencing a notable increase in trip length. Tokyo stands out as the only destination with a single-digit trip length among the trending places.

Emerging Trending Destinations
APAC travellers are exploring new and trending destinations, with notable increases in search volumes recorded for New Delhi, India, and Shanghai, China. Other trending destinations include Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Victoria, Canada. Pangkalan Bun in Borneo, Indonesia, has seen an increase in average trip length, indicating growing interest in this unique destination.

Commenting on the insights, Zeynep Mutlu Bigalı, Head of Destination Partnerships at Skyscanner, said, “Our latest Horizon insights reveal a travel landscape that is both familiar and evolving. Travellers are seeking value and exploring options closer to home, while popular destinations continue to attract attention. Skyscanner anticipates sustained demand throughout the summer, especially in regions like North Asia.”

Skyscanner has experienced record travel demand in 2024, surpassing the global flights market and emerging as the fastest-growing metasearch platform in 2023. The company said it remains a strategic partner for leading brands, airlines, and DMOs, leveraging data intelligence to promote destinations, develop AI travel tools, and facilitate the launch of new routes based on traveller insights.