the majority of tribes go away to relax, have fun and gain new experiences

Top 3 reasons to go travelling:

To relax and take a break

Those in university and employment often travel after busy periods of work or after finishing exams and deadlines, using it as a time to unwind.

To have fun and celebrate

This can be through partying/socialising with friends, trying new activities and spending time outdoors e.g. at beaches and parks.

To explore new countries and cultures

Tribes often enjoy a warmer climate and relish the opportunity to try new foods and experience different cultures and ways of life.

To get a break from the day to day stuff you do every day. To see a new country, go on a little adventure and grow as a person.” – Male

“I like to go away on holiday as I feel like I can escape reality and be a completely different person. I feel like I can be myself or the person I really want to be without being judged by anyone. I love relaxing and just love the peace and quiet.” – Female, 20, Short:Snaps, Mainstream

Tribes are triggered into thinking about travelling due to their friends, work fatigue, advertisements and upcoming events/special occasions

Friends social media activity

Talking to and seeing their friends on holiday via social media can inspire them to start thinking about their own trips.

I like to choose amazing places by seeing photos that my friends share in the social media from places that they have visited. So if travelling is not so expensive I take the initiative to make the travel with my friends.” – VOD:Bingers, Mainstream

Work fatigue and boredom

Satisfying the need to get away and taking a break. This can sometimes be spontaneous too.

I also have this natural desire to take a break every three months and two of those occasions in a year are attributed to a holiday. I’m also attracted to atypical destinations, or at least ones considered atypical in my network. For example, I hardly know anyone who has been to Almeria, which was one of my holidays.” – Male, 23, Short:Snaps, Alternative

advertisements and special occasions are also key drivers

Advertisements and word of mouth

Seeing holiday ads on TV, Facebook and Instagram are a catalyst. Hearing about different people’s holidays and talking about dream trips can also inspire Tribes.

I start thinking about travelling when one ad is very appealing to me and makes me want to search for more information on the internet about this ad or place, so after finding the right place I search for a trip on some website.” – Male

“Ads on TV or by the Internet make me think about travelling for a place where I and my friends feel good. After watching an ad, I decide to use YouTube to search more information about my trips.” – Female, Pop:Socials, Mainstream

Special occasions and specific events

Tribes start thinking about travelling in times of celebration. They like having something to look forward to when they have exams coming up e.g. A-levels and other occasions such as anniversaries with partners. They also go abroad to attend events such as concerts and tournaments.

My last holiday was a 2in1 trip. We had gig tickets purchased in Amsterdam, so it only felt right to spend a good amount of time there with friends to soak up the real Amsterdam.” – Female, 23, Short:Snaps, Alternative

If there is an event on in another country it can make me think that I want to go to see it. For example, recently I went to see a League of Legends tournament finals in Rotterdam. I also think about going away with my girlfriend so I can spend time with her so I ask her where she might want to go.” – Male

when thinking about where to go on holiday, tribes use a broad range of resources to help feel inspired

Search Journey:

To start, Tribes tend to do a general Google/Google Maps search to gain a rough idea of where they want to go and the easiest way to get there.

This is followed by a visit to a familiar website/app or blog, and often has a clear purpose e.g. Skyscanner for flights and then Airbnb for accommodation. Official websites and apps are used far more frequently than social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook.

tribes’ dream locations that they aspire to travel to in the next few years are very different holidays to their smaller city breaks

When asked if they could visit any three places in the few years, Tribes are most interested in going to countries that are unfamiliar and far away, catering for a different and exciting trip where they can immerse themselves in new cultures and experiences

Tribes are deeply interested in visiting places with beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. They want to explore the outdoors in Australia, visit the Grand Canyon, hop in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon’s, watch the Niagara Falls, climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, walk through the Sahara Desert and Africa’s jungles, and ski through Japan’s thick powder.

They also want to immerse themselves in countries with vastly different cultures and histories such as China, Korea, Japan, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Sahara because I would like to know the desert. Africa because it is completely different from other countries, it has the best wild life, it is just amazing. Japan because it is other culture.” – Female, Pop:Socials, Mainstream

“Tanzania because I want to climb Kilimanjaro! I think it would be a great challenge and again amazing nature. Also, I’ve never been to Africa and my dad was born there so I feel a connection. Canada because again the scenery and nature would be amazing and beautiful.” – Female, 24, Short:Snaps, Mainstream

“Japan, India and Africa because are countries completely different from mine with other weather, food, traditions and more, that I would like to know.” – Male, VOD:Socials, Mainstream

given they are often on a tight budget, price and eye-catching offers are the key focus of their search

The booking mind-set:

As expected, Tribes are tight for disposable income so are always thinking about price. They want to do as much as possible without spending too much.

Some things they often think about:

• The cheapest way to travel there e.g. a train instead of flight
• How long they can afford to stay

Some things they do:

• Make a shortlist of places and see what’s the best value
• Book their holiday dates on prices instead of convenience e.g. flights/accommodation

The most common feelings expressed by Tribes when planning holidays were excited, stressed, happy, energetic and overwhelmed.

I tend to go on sites such as Kayak and Booking.com and look at city break deals and see what’s on offer. I get excited but also a little stressed sometimes when finding places to stay, especially if I’m trying to organise a holiday for a lot of people.” – Female, 21

“I get very excited about this and love, love, love making itineraries. I don’t so much prefer booking flights because that’s boring and nerve-wracking, but the itineraries are fun. I get really stuck into google maps so I know exactly where I’m going!” – Female, 23, VOD:Socials, Mainstream

 “One of the best parts about any holiday is the planning. Although it can be stressful. There are 3 simple steps to be followed when going on a holiday. First is the travel so what is the most economical way of travelling to the destination. Second comes the accommodation based on the budget and duration of holidays that can be selected, lastly food.” – Female

tribes put a lot of time into researching and planning their holidays to ensure they enjoy their trip

Tribes use a plethora of resources to help plan their holiday, and will begin their planning process by learning as much as they can about what’s on offer in their desired destination. Some commonly cited research tools were YouTube, TripAdvisor, and Google Maps.

Many Tribes like to use YouTube to watch videos about places they want to visit to get a better idea of where they’re going and see if it’s the right choice. They also like to read tourist’s comments and see what people have done in those places.

tribes feel reviews are very honest and reliable sources to use when planning their holidays

TripAdvisor is seen as a vital tool as they find it helpful to read honest reviews and things such as ‘top things to do lists.’ Blogs are also read to find out this information.

Tribes also use booking websites to plan their holidays. They aren’t loyal to one particular site, and instead tend to browse through several.

Travel providers such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, hotels.com, AirBnB, booking.com, Kayak are viewed as valuable planning resources as they have photos, reviews/blogs and package deals. When it comes to planning flights, the majority of Tribes use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flight.

I use websites like YouTube because people upload/post their videos on this website about their trips, so it makes me decide the most appealing places and compare between them and the most appealing wins the first place.” – Male

“Internet – loads of sites like trip advisor, student universe, interrail, Skyscanner. Basically, lots of price comparisons and advice from people who have already done the trip. I’ve actually been getting good advice from reddit lately as well, chatting to people in threads who have posted pics from the mountains I’d like to go to and getting their personal advice on how to plan etc.” – Male, 20, VOD:Bingers, Urban

“I literally just go for the cheapest, best- rated hotel.” – Female

the key differences between tribes when travelling with friends, solo and as a couple typically revolve around spending, planning activities and the purpose of the trip

When travelling with friends:

“Roughing it”

• Don’t mind keeping it cheap with hostels/restaurants to ensure everyone can afford the trip.

“Winging it”

• Don’t mind showing up and finding things to do, and often find people make changes to previously made plans on site visits/activities.
• Sometimes there is a group leader who plans everything to make it simple e.g. The most experienced traveller will choose flights/accommodation.
• Tribes often vote for places and things to do in the run up to the holiday – citing WhatsApp groups as a good platform for this. Some things they do:

– Classic tourist attractions e.g. museums.

– More interested in social aspects e.g. nightlife/pub.

With friends we try to do the most for the cheapest amount possible, we don’t mind staying in hostels and ruffing it a bit, however with my boyfriend we’d always go somewhere a bit nicer and try and make it more of a treat for us.” – Female, 20, VOD:Socials, Urban

those who travel solo and as a couple tend to have more activities planned for their holiday

Solo

• Like to have everything planned.
  • However, the amount of activities planned do range from person to person. Some prefer to do more when travelling solo whilst others prefer less.
• Enjoy having freedom of choice when making decisions on sightseeing, restaurants etc.
• Factor in more relaxation time to rest and read, in comparison to travelling with friends.

“If I am planning a holiday with myself, everything has to be completely mapped out, most likely an all-inclusive holiday to make things easier for myself.” – Female, 22

A minority of Tribes stated that their holidays rarely differ when travelling by themselves or with friends, as they usually lead the booking process and/or travel with likeminded people.

Couple

• Stay somewhere a bit nicer – don’t mind spending more money because they want it to be special and romantic.
• Cater more to partner’s needs (whereas with friends some people are less considerate)
  • Equal input to planning activities
  • More romantic events and surprises involving e.g. beautiful views/sights, restaurants etc.

If I was planning a trip with my girlfriend I would cater to her much more than I would with friends. For example, she’s a vegetarian so I would make sure there are restaurants close by that have good veggie options. I would also take extra care to check with her that she’s happy with where we are going and staying.” – Male

Tribes use a variety of websites and applications to book holidays such as skyscanner, airbnb, trivago, booking.com, expedia, kayak and thomas cook

Those who book with travel providers aren’t loyal to one website in particular, and will often search through multiple sites in order to learn more about their options and find the best deal.

Overall, Tribes like resources that offer a variety of choice and an easy booking experience. Some commonly praised features were price filters for searches, trip comparisons for different destinations based on price and activities, and further information on deals and discounts.

These websites are also popular because of their multi-service booking capabilities including flights, hotels and activities because it’s easier than booking it separately.

TripAdvisor’s for its wide variety of options to the choice of where to travel. Booking.com for the best hotels and prices when choosing a holiday destination. Comiviajeros.com for its great variety of destinations to enjoy either with friends or with my boyfriend.” – Female

“I tend to search online by websites like Airbnb because it has tons of hotels and deals from different accommodations in the UK around my city. Using the websites is helpful because sometimes we can find reviews from people and make easy to choose the best deal and place.” – Male

“If possible, I prefer to book every aspect of the holiday separately and directly through each entity. For example, I’d book the flight directly with the airline website, and the hotel website directly. This is to avoid the added fees of using external booking systems such as booking.com.” – Female, 20, VOD:Bingers, Aspirant

there is a large opportunity for travel providers to appeal to tribes, as 58% of tribes who have not used a travel provider are open to doing so in the future

Only 34% of Tribes have used a travel provider to book a holiday.

Tribes who have used a variety of travel providers commonly praised traits such as competitive prices and an easy booking experience on the website.

Tribes welcome comprehensive search facilities, a simple navigation experience with flights/accommodation and attractive/informative combo deals (e.g. flights, accommodation and transport).

Tribes who said they “have not and will not use a travel provider” prefer to plan their holidays themselves because they feel it’s cheaper to do so this way, and don’t want to be on tours with other people either.

Frequently cited providers whom Tribes have booked with were Thomson, Thomas Cook, Kayak, booking.com, HomeAway, TUI, Crystal Travel and On the Beach.

I have used Expedia because they offer the best deals combining flights, hotels, and even transportation from airport to hotel.” – VOD:Socials, Aspirant

“Owners Direct: absolutely rule the hotel booking in UK, with thousands of properties across UK instantly bookable through their website. The site has a comprehensive search facility, so you can search by hotel or by city, and often you’ll get a ‘book now pay later’ deal, where you’ll pay the hotel on arrival. Often, hotels offer free cancellation up to a week before, too, giving you even more flexibility.” – VOD:Socials, Alternative

tribes are generally satisfied with their experiences using travel providers, with only a few recording moments where they’ve gone above and beyond their expectations

Expedia was viewed as having flexible and informative booking services, as they tell you how many rooms are available for each hotel, give you the option of cancellation and offer payment upon arrival for some rooms.

HomeAway (previously OwnersDirect) was commended for its great service with longer stays, stating how much easier it is to organise and book, compared to services such as AirBnB which often have restrictions on the period of time you can stay.

AgoTravel (Turkey) was praised for its unexpected perks and personal touches, such as free/reduced priced trips, free Wi-Fi boxes and useful recommendations on additional things to do. They also highly rated the customer service, expressing the staff were consistently ensuring everything was going as planned and they were enjoying themselves.

tribes want providers to thoroughly educate them about their holiday choices, and give them detailed recommendations on things to do

They want to know as much as possible about where they’re going and what they can do, to ensure they have a truly enriching travelling experience.

Being more informed would take some of the planning and booking pressure off and inspire confidence in Tribes’ decisions, as stress is one of the most common emotions they feel during the process.

tribes praise the idea of packages tailored to their itnerests and needs

They would like providers to create 2-3 different styled package options which can be booked upon their review.

These can be curated by short surveys asking about their interests, budget, previously enjoyed holidays and top-rated country locations, or the booker can submit similar information to the website or in an email to customer service. This information can also be used for more targeted holiday recommendations.

“I would like the travel provider give from 2-3 options with packages available with prices, flights and hotels, something easier to me when choosing what I want, travel providers usually provide destinations withe the packages but rarely they ask you by your most dreamed places to give you options to choose, it would be great.” – VOD:Bingers, Leading Edge

tribes want to be more in the know with regards to all aspects of their trip

More extensive information and recommendations:

Exciting “To do’s”: e.g. sights, excursion ideas.

• Local experiences e.g. art galleries, street food, car sales.

Schedules: Travel timetables for the bus/train.

Tips: e.g. Bring a towel/umbrella when visiting here.

• Packing checklists.

Details on visas, potential medications and vaccinations required.

Blogs on providers websites.

More authentic and up to date photos and videos taken by guests – instead of generic, old, stock looking ones.

Weather data that shows the best times of year to visit countries.

Recommendations:

• Less-travelled location options
• Travel options e.g. you can travel here on a train stopping off at X places instead of flying
• Post booking follow-ups e.g. communications and updates on things to do closer to the holiday

Giving a short list with available destination according to the place I chose to visit. Providing packages with best places and the lowest prices. Saying something like ‘remember to bring an umbrella because the weather warrants it’. some kind of suggestioif you do not know the weather of your destination.” – Male

they also want their booking experience to be as simple and easy as possible

Improved planning and booking experience:

Tribes praise the idea of demographic filters which show popular destinations for age group, job type and interests.

A “hot deals” section on the website/notifications of them when they come out. (Kayak already does this). This is perceived as more helpful and appropriate for traditionally expensive holidays such as Australia.

Proof in the pudding:

Evidence that the providers package is cheaper than booking it independently.

Planning – on the inspiration page where they show what’s popular/cheap at the time, it would be useful to also show what there is to do at these locations.” – Female, 21

”Would want them to find the cheapest deal possible and to offer packages that could include accommodation and/or activities they could show cheap deals to countries to inspire which place to visit.” – Female, 18