Survey: Solo travel and hygiene top Hongkongers' future travel preferences

Although travel plans remain on hold for most of us for the foreseeable future, that hasn't stopped wanderlusters worldwide from dreaming about their next getaway.

In hopes of keeping those dreams alive, Booking.com surveyed a sample of adults worldwide to get a feel for their travel preferences and plans for the future. The travellers surveyed must have travelled for business or leisure in the past 12 months, and must also plan to travel again in the next 12 months, assuming restrictions and bans are lifted.

To aid marketers with their efforts in 2021, Booking.com went even further, drilling down the results to local markets as well.

When it came to Hong Kong, five key preferences stood out.

Going solo

In research conducted before the pandemic, only 10% of global travellers indicated an interest in solo travel. However, the more recent survey revealed that 25% of Hongkongers aim to take a solo trip in the future. With this preference for going solo also comes the desire for enhanced flexibility while travelling: 80% of Hongkongers think airlines should offer more flexible tickets, and 58% find that being able to cancel without charge is a must.

Safety first

While locals are eager to get back into the world and travel, they're also very aware of the risks now and in the future. With 64% of Hongkongers saying they pledge to not take travel for granted again, 83% plan to take more precautions when it comes to health and safety. In the midst of the global pandemic, Booking.com has seen use of words like "clean" and "hygiene" increase by over 60%. Additionally, 69% of Hong Kong travellers indicated that they would be willing to try online check-in over in-person. 

Family time

With so many forced to spend the year distanced from their family and friends, 58% of Hong Kong respondents plan to use future travel as a way to reconnect with their loved ones. 

Quick trips

With multiple waves of COVID-19 affecting even local events and staycations, travellers are more aware about the possibility of future interruptions to their travel plans. As a result, 49% of Hongkongers say they aim to take more quick trips in 2021 than they took in 2019 in hopes of minimising disappointment.

Eating local

In further hopes of not taking travel for granted, 38% of travellers worldwide aim to sample more of the local cuisine while travelling, and 31% aim to eat out more with the money they've saved from not travelling abroad in 2020.

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