The Hawkins International team recently released their annual TrendHawk report, a collection of fact-filled articles covering developments we’ve noticed in the travel and lifestyles spheres across the globe, and where the team thinks they’re headed. Spoiler alert: expect to hear more about sustainability, how boutique hotels are fostering partnerships and the role that social media videos play in marketing and PR for travel. Read on for a sample of the trends to watch, and download the full 2022 TrendHawk report here.
With travelers gaga for sustainability, smart operators and designers react.
Sustainable travel will be on trend reports every year for the next decade and for good reason. While travel providers have long borne responsibility for the guest experience, more and more travelers now see it as their responsibility to ensure the future of the planet. Traveling with intention is all the rage. As reported by Accenture, the pandemic inspired 58% of consumers to think more about sustainability, and 86% desire to travel more sustainably, though only half manage to do so often. In its recent Megatrends report, Skift noted, “sustainability can no longer be an afterthought for travel companies,” adding that those making bold, redefining moves as travel picks up “have the potential to become industry leaders in an altered world.”
As their numbers rise, we see a necessary trend of boutique brands setting themselves apart to stand out in their destinations.
Back in the ‘00s, a boutique hotel client asked us to pen a letter to the editor of a national newspaper pointing out that a New York developer was being celebrated for a boutique property that wasn’t a ‘boutique’ at all. It was too big, he told us, too brassy, et cetera. Dial forward to today, and what isn’t a boutique hotel? There are nearly 5,500 in the U.S., according to IBISWorld, up 7.7% from 2021. As Skift noted last year: “We’re now in a boutique glut: there are still great ones, but there are also larger brands trying to emulate the boutique ethos and coming off not-quite-sincere in the process.”
Brands are scrambling to prioritize video content – but where will they get it?
Before many of us spent two years inside, consumers were begging social channels for more video. In 2018, almost 60% of consumers said video was the missing component in brand marketing efforts. Video allows you to visually provide information on your brand and can capture more aspects of a brand's identity than a simple image. You would think that this would have given the hospitality industry a head start, but ultimately many brands continued to lean on Instagram and Facebook as photo-sharing platforms.
Following an incredibly successful debut in 2021, The PR Net 100 returns for its second year, celebrating talent, innovation and influence in the PR agency world. 100 leading agencies will be recognized in the list and gather at the gala event celebration in September in New York City.
To evaluate the applications, we are thrilled to have a committee of esteemed judges:
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED AND APPLICANTS WILL BE ADVISED OF THE JUDGES' DECISIONS BY END OF AUGUST 2022.
There are a variety of sponsorship and marketing opportunities available, that reach this influential audience. If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to: info@theprnet.com.
