A desire to reconnect with family and friends after a year of stringent lockdown measures due to COVID-19 is likely greater than the desire for a leisure getaway in 2021, says data and analytics company GlobalData.
“GlobalData’s forecasts suggest that visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel will experience higher growth, with a 17% compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2025, compared with leisure, growing at a 16,4% increase in the same time period,” says Johanna Bonhill-Smith, Travel & Tourism analyst at GlobalData.
“While VFR will not surpass the number of international leisure getaways, it will play a vital role in travel’s recovery, with 242m international departures expected to be taken for this purpose by 2025.”
VFR was the second most typically taken holiday in 2019 by 46% of global respondents in GlobalData’s Q3 2019 consumer survey. It was second only to ‘sun and beach getaways’ (58%).
In certain source markets, it is also the most popular reason for travel, with 64% of travellers in India prioritising this type of trip, followed by Saudi Arabia (60%), the US (53%), Australia (52%) and Canada (49%).
“A more recent GlobalData survey revealed that 83% of global respondents were concerned about restrictions on socialising with friends and family,” adds Johanna. “Platforms such as Zoom, Facebook, and WhatsApp have given consumers an opportunity to meet virtually, but this still isn’t quite the same as embracing a family member or properly sitting down together.”
