BERLIN, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyperloop
trains, flying on supersonic aircraft, travelling on 'smart'
motorways or getting from A to B in autonomous drones—when
consumers hear about how travel will look in the future, they are
excited, but apprehensive. This is the finding of a survey of 6,008
consumers in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the United
Kingdom and the United
States, commissioned by Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO), a global
publisher of exclusive offers and experiences for members, in
partnership with ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade
show.
Joel Brandon-Bravo, Travelzoo
General Manager, UK, will present the results of the survey today
at the ITB Future Day event in Berlin at 3.15pm
local time in Auditorium London, Convention Hall 7.1b.
How do people expect to travel in the future?
In the
survey, consumers were first asked about how they expect to travel
in the future. Self-driving cars on 'smart highways' are already
being tested, so it is no surprise that just over half of consumers
(51%) expect to see them become the norm by 2030. This was followed
by aircraft powered by alternative fuels (36%), and hyperloops
(31%), both of which are already being developed by a variety of
established brands and start-ups. Less than a third (28%) expect to
see the return of supersonic flights in the next 12 years—this is
despite Concorde proving the technology works, and claims from
manufacturers like Boom Supersonic that flights will begin by
2022.
Travellers are strongly aligned on the benefits of such new
technologies, with nearly three quarters (74%) agreeing that the
expected reduction in emissions, congestion and reliance on
traditional fuel sources will improve the environment. Many also
highlight anticipated faster travel times (88%) and reducing the
stress of travel (63%) as benefits.
Why are consumers untrusting of these future ways of
travelling?
However, when it comes to pilotless aircraft or
autonomous, passenger-carrying drones, consumers are far more
cautious in their expectations around adoption. Only one in five
(20%) believe they will become the norm by 2030. Indeed, such is
the scepticism, that a significantly higher percentage (38%) state
they'd prefer to risk teleportation, a technology that doesn't even
exist yet, to get to or from their holiday.
Confidence in autonomous flight technology is very low among
respondents. Just 7% admit to a preference to use it compared to
aircraft powered by 'alternative' fuels (32%) or a supersonic jet
(31%). Overall, more than three quarters (76%) of consumers would
not trust driverless or pilotless technology enough to travel in
it, and 78% of travellers state they would be 'very' or 'quite'
worried about its safety and reliability (compared to 55% for both
supersonic aircraft and hyperloops).
Joel Brandon-Bravo explains:
"Advances in automation, artificial intelligence, design and
materials, and pure necessity, are combining to drive a revolution
in how we will travel and take holidays in the future. But our
study emphasises that there is a trust gap that must be bridged.
Only 8% of respondents globally said they would be comfortable
flying in a drone—so a message to the entrepreneurs and organisers
rushing to be first to market is that a huge majority of their
potential customers need to be convinced about safety and
reliability."
Consumers do not want to pay 'much more'
Furthermore,
consumers are concerned that these new forms of travel will only be
available to a few to enjoy. Eight out of ten believe they'll be a
luxury only a few can afford, and 60% doubt they would make travel
more affordable. Only 4% of respondents state they are prepared to
pay 'much more' than they do now for their holiday travel—this is
not good news when enormous upfront development and infrastructure
costs will need to be met.
By transport type, consumers tend to associate speed with
desirability, demonstrating a slight readiness to pay out 'much
more' for hyperloops (an average of 7% in France, Germany and Spain) and supersonic flights (10% in the UK,
17% in the USA) according to the
survey, which were both forms of transport they also associate most
with perceptions of luxury and convenience.
However, where automation has removed the need for human
expertise or skill—such as pilotless aircraft or driverless
cars—travellers are clear that they expect to pay less for using
such modes of travel in the future, and so the industry needs to
take note.
About Travelzoo
Travelzoo® provides our 28 million
members insider deals and one-of-a-kind experiences personally
reviewed by one of our deal experts around the globe. With more
than 25 offices worldwide, we have our finger on the pulse of
outstanding travel, entertainment and lifestyle experiences. For
over 15 years we have worked in partnership with more than 2,000
top travel suppliers—our long-standing relationships give Travelzoo
members access to the very best deals.
Travelzoo and Top 20 are registered trademarks of Travelzoo. All
other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
Media contact:
Laura
Higgins
+44 (0) 207 420 0498
lhiggins@travelzoo.com
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