Global travellers are gearing up for summer and are already in planning mode, with new data indicating an upward trend in Northern Hemisphere searches. In fact, search volume for destinations in this region has nearly doubled compared to 2021, which is reassuring news for partners following years of volatile travel restrictions and uncertain conditions.
“We continue to see strength in our summer booking trends and if the current trends continue, we could see a record summer travel season,” says Robert Ahearn, Vice President and Managing Director of the Americas. “We are gearing up to prepare for that across all parts of our business, with our local teams working closely with our partners on opportunities and optimisations to capitalise on the increased demand this summer and what is shaping up to be an exciting travel-filled season.”
Currently, 71% of summer searches on our platform are for the months of June and July. Making sure that your availability is up to date can help you capture this demand early in the season.
Regional trends
Speaking at Click. 2022, Booking.com’s Ahearn reflected on the strong summer performance we’ve recently seen in the Southern Hemisphere – another promising indicator of what’s to come. "We saw a really strong rebound in demand in Latin America – Colombia, Argentina, Brazil – where the summer season has just finished. We’re optimistic that this trend will continue as we move into summer in the Northern Hemisphere and are already seeing high gross bookings for the upcoming period. Our hope for the summer season is to see travellers' continued excitement around getting back out there and for Booking.com to help make it easier for them to experience the world.”
New research by the European Travel Commission (ETC) reports that travel sentiment also remains resilient across Europe. According to the research, three in four Europeans intend to take a trip in the next six months. Pointing to strong intra-European travel during summer, the ETC reveals that Spain is the most favoured destination among Europeans travelling abroad between April and September 2022, followed by Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.
What summer travellers want
Recent survey data from Booking.com reveals nice weather is the main motivator for 67% of global travellers to plan a peak season getaway. This is followed by timing considerations, with 62% indicating it’s easier to make plans with others in peak season and 60% agreeing that it’s the most convenient period to take time off from work and school. Over half (60%) also say there are more activities to do in a destination during the summer.
Our search data reveals that currently 35% of all user sessions for dates between June and August use a filter on our platform. One of the top-used filters is facilities, which allows users to filter by amenities available at the property, such as free parking, pet friendly and swimming pool. Other popular categories include free cancellation, price, meal plan and property type. Make sure you’re visible in these filtered searches by indicating which facilities and amenities you offer in the extranet.
Flexibility remains a non-negotiable for the majority of travellers this year, and we see that guests continue to prefer flexibility when searching for summer accommodation. So far, more than 90% of summer travellers are booking flexible rates, highlighting the importance of setting flexible policies.
- Summer 2022 is shaping up to be busy, with our data showing search volume in the Northern Hemisphere has nearly doubled compared to last year
- Currently, 71% of summer searches on our platform are for June and July
- 35% of all user sessions for dates between June and August use a filter on our platform
- Guests continue to prefer flexibility when searching for summer accommodations. So far, more than 90% of summer travellers are booking flexible rates
