73% of UAE travelers want to travel in the next year, with Asia and Europe reigning as top destinations after Middle East

• The research is welcome news for the travel industry, with 51% of travelers expecting to take a flight for business later this year within the Middle East
• The global study of nine markets provides insight on traveler attitudes and sentiment around restrictions, digital health data and sustainable travel  

Dubai, United Arab Emirates– (AETOSWire) : The survey of 9,074 consumers across France, Germany, India, Spain, Russia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the US shows the appetite to travel is high. At the same time, it reveals that greater clarity on restrictions and guidelines will be key to unlocking increased traveler confidence. Over a third (31%) of the UAE travelers said the current international guidelines around where and how to travel are confusing, making them less likely to book business and/or leisure travel.

At the same time, travelers are exhibiting increased openness to embrace technology and a willingness to share health data so they can start traveling again.

When asked about the receptiveness to share personal health data, the survey results show:

• 95% of the UAE travelers would be willing to provide personal data for the effective use of digital health passports or certificates
• Almost half (49%) of business travelers would be willing to provide their health data to visit a conference or event, while 29% of leisure travelers would be willing to for an excursion or activity at destination.

When asked which technology would increase confidence to travel in the next 12 months, mobile solutions continue to be the most popular, with the top technologies including:  

• Mobile applications that provide on-trip notifications and alerts (48%) 
• Self-service check-in (49%)
• Mobile Boarding (44%) 
• Automated and flexible cancellation policies (42%)

Mobile applications and self-service check in have remained top technologies across all three studies, with the addition of automated and flexible cancellation policies in this final instalment.  

The research is the third in a series of traveler sentiment surveys, where Amadeus takes a regular checkpoint on traveler sentiment and concerns to help the industry rebuild travel in the most effective way. Both the 2020 Rethink Travel survey (Sept 2020) and Rebuild Travel Digital Health (Feb 2021) survey revealed how technology can help to increase traveler confidence and Amadeus revisited this question to see how traveler confidence has changed since September 2020. 97% of travelers now say that technology will increase their confidence to travel, up from 91% in February 2021 and 84% in September 2020, showing a growing sense of traveler confidence in technology.   

When considering the future of travel and sustainability, the survey highlighted what solutions travelers believe might help the industry to become more sustainable long-term. The results showed:

• Nearly half (49%) of travelers said greater availability of green modes of transport, e.g., electric planes or trains
• A similar percentage (47%) believe making sustainable travel more cost effective would be beneficial
• 47% say transparency around travel companies’ sustainability policies would help.

Although receptiveness to travel in the next year is high, the travel industry needs to consider how to respond to changing traveler concerns as the travel environment continues to adapt. The three main concerns travelers have are:  

• Fears of catching COVID-19 while traveling (45%) 
• Self-isolation or quarantine before and after travel (42%)
• Changing restrictions resulting in last minute cancellations (39%)

In comparison to the previous studies, fears of catching the virus maintain a top concern for travelers, alongside self-isolation, or quarantine.

Decius Valmorbida, President, Travel, Amadeus, says, “The travel industry still faces many challenges in light of COVID-19, but we are seeing positive steps taken as restrictions lift and developments in digital health certificates continue around the world. This research demonstrates the appetite to travel continues to grow, and that travelers are looking forward to advancements in areas such as touchless technology, digital health and sustainable travel. Now is the time to listen even more closely to travelers’ needs so we can rebuild our industry in a way that is more traveler focused, resilient and sustainable.”

Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, President, Hospitality, Amadeus, comments, “This three-part series of research has highlighted the essential role that both technology and data have to play in the recovery of our industry and increasing traveler confidence. In hospitality specifically we are seeing how our hotel customers are implementing solutions that complement and streamline experiences without losing the human touch while using data to better prepare for guest demands. At Amadeus we are committed to rebuilding a better industry and working closely with our customers to provide the tools to achieve this.”