Four traveller groups to transform the airline sector

A landmark report, Future Traveller Tribes 2020, has for the first time identified the major social, geopolitical, economic, consumer and technology trends that will determine who will be travelling in the future, which groups will potentially be most dominant, and what their individual needs will be. The report, a joint study between Henley Centre HeadlightVision (HCHLV), a global futures consultancy and Amadeus, a leading provider of technology solutions to the travel industry, was developed following significant research and input from travel, airline and technology experts.

According to Frederic Spagnou, Vice President, Airline Business Group, Amadeus: “We are committed to remaining at the forefront of understanding what travellers need and demand, both now and into the future. This breakthrough report, which has identified four groups, each with distinct needs, should help all of us consider how we can most effectively deliver new services. The humanisation of technology idea will hopefully result in a more simplified, intuitive and personal journey for all.”

Future Traveller Tribes 2020 analyses the impact of major international trends such as the globalisation of business, politics, migration and tourism. These trends are considered alongside major consumer trends, such as the growth in environmentalism and affluence to a greater demand for personalisation and a search for health and well-being. It is against this background, along with extensive interviews with airline representatives, industry leaders and technology experts, that the four groups have been identified. These include:

• Global Executives: 'elite' business travellers who want a private jet type experience, predominantly from emerging economic markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, which will see significant growth in the next decade;

• Active Seniors: the wealthy, healthy, older travellers, aged between 50 and 75, will travel for cultural and leisure pursuits, driven by a growing ageing population;

• Cosmopolitan Commuters: those who live in one city but work in another and will use air travel to commute; and

• Global Clans: people who will increasingly use air travel to visit globally dispersed extended family members who will increase due to the explosion of global migration.

“For the first time this report brings together major macro-trends, changes in consumer behaviour and technology developments to paint a realistic vision of what groups of traveller will emerge in the next 10-15 years. We hope it will have a significant impact on how travel services are delivered in the future. It is essential that travel providers start to think seriously about how the needs of the traveller will evolve and what can be done to secure customer loyalty,” according to Sian Davies, Chief Executive, Henley Centre HeadlightVision.