When virtual card technology was first introduced over a decade ago, it offered benefits to travel companies that were truly innovative: improved fraud protection, easier reconciliation, cost savings on foreign exchange, and robust, customizable data that helped companies plan and forecast more efficiently. But what鈥檚 next? As we enter a new decade, what new innovations are on the horizon for payments in the travel industry? 

Data insights will become invaluable

Data is increasingly being used in real time to change behaviors, systems, suppliers, and make important decisions. Virtual cards combine data insights, operational efficiencies, and fraud protections which are crucial to these advancements.

Virtual credit cards have a unique and dynamic feature that allows real-time data to increase business decisions. Mass single-use virtual cards, combined with the power of the underlying payment processor data, create the ability to become increasingly precise about real-time next steps. An AI Fraud engine can enhance banking fraud detection by helping data analytics software recognize potential fraud cases (or false positives) while avoiding acceptable deviations from the norm.

The same AI data tools can assist the virtual payments provider with enhancing products and solutions to create long-term end user benefits such as digital self-serve tracking, real-time alerts and reporting. Travel companies that utilize data to create efficiencies and more enhanced operations will ultimately be the winners with their customers as they detect problems before they arise, predict future opportunities, and allow for greater features and functionalities for the customer experience.

Mobile wallets will see widespread adoption

The expansion of mobile in the consumer world is growing at pace, according to eMarketer, , and over 50% of retailers in the U.S. are able to accept mobile wallets. In some areas of the world, . Norway is at 42%, while China is at 47% of consumers regularly using mobile wallet apps, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. The fast growing adoption means the next move is likely to be with commercial cards. 

Mobile wallets have the potential to completely change the user experience in both consumer travel as well as corporate travel. As we鈥檝e explored in the past, business travelers are more tech savvy than consumer travelers and rely heavily on their mobile devices during travel, which could make mobile wallets an ideal solution.

In the realm of using virtual cards for travel, mobile wallets bring the ability to have real-time digital issuance, spending, and reconciliation to the end user. By putting the experience in the hands of the business traveler, there is no need for outdated plastics or receipt collection. 

While bringing more convenience to the business traveler via payments on the go, mobile wallets also bring in more control – controls that can be pre-set to drive corporate compliance. In fact, capabilities like geolocation can be embedded and enabled to improve authentication rates while traveling abroad and also provide safety for employers needing to ensure they can reach their business traveler if required.

Travel companies who implement these solutions can significantly reduce the friction of payments for both the traveler and the backend processes they support. As with all global payments, adopters will need to address the different technologies used in mobile wallets in different regions of the world. 

Virtual card technology will cross into other industries

And finally, expect to see virtual card technology moving into other payment areas. For example, many consumer banks have created enhanced propositions for one-time usage to improve e-commerce purchase journeys. 

For commercial uses, it has now become standard for virtual card numbers to be used by travel companies to pay other suppliers who were typically paid by traditional credit card or checks. In fact, governments are seeking to use virtual cards to introduce elements such as two-factor authentication. By using a virtual card in Europe, cards can be processed in real-time without the need for two-factor authentication. This is due to the secure, one-time use nature of the cards and the business-to-business use case.

Innovation is happening faster than ever in the travel industry. As new technologies emerge, expect the leading travel companies to be quick to adopt the technologies that offer greater fraud protection, more efficiencies, and a better customer experience through every stage of the travel journey.

Understand what WEX鈥檚 Travel Team notes as the 2020 Travel Trends by .

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Today鈥檚 business travelers are some of the world鈥檚 most savvy travelers. They know what they want out of their travel experiences, and employers are more and more likely to accommodate these needs. Happy travelers mean happy employees, and many companies are making changes in areas from booking, payments, and technology in order to optimize the business travel experience. 

Business Traveler Satisfaction Important to Employers

that looked at business traveler satisfaction revealed that companies are increasingly creating 鈥渢raveler satisfaction programs鈥� to gain insight into how they can make the travel experience a great experience for their employees. Findings revealed that 20% of surveyed companies already have such a program and another 29% were expected to launch one in the next two years. 

The survey also showed that travel buyers are looking at various ways to improve the experience, including integrating more technology into the travel experience, improving the expense management process, and homing in on employee data to personalize the travel experience. 

The Right Corporate Travel Cards Can Improve the Traveler Experience  

An often forgotten point is that the travel experience includes more than the days employees are actually traveling; it includes planning, booking, and the tasks that need to be done when the employee is back in the office, such as submitting expenses. With the associated policies and procedures in place for travel expenses, the booking and expense of travel can often be one of the biggest hassles of business travel.  

While traditional corporate travel cards have been the standard way of paying for expenses, travel companies are realizing that there are other options that improve the experience for both travelers and travel managers. Payments using Virtual Card Numbers (VCNs) are becoming increasingly popular because they offer a number of benefits across the board, including flexibility, online account management, seamless integration, and more. 

Major expenses such as hotel rooms can be paid by a company-provided VCN without the need for the employee to use their corporate card and then have to expense the cost when they return. The process is flexible enough to allow employees to use their card for incidentals, and at the same time, it gives the travel manager greater control of expenses, and provides greater fraud protection than regular corporate travel cards. 

Read more about the benefits of using Virtual Card numbers for business travel here 

Better Technology Is Key to Business Traveler Experience

As with leisure travel, a huge component in improving traveler experiences is technology. From mobile booking to rideshare apps to keyless entry for rental cars, technology is enabling seamless experiences that really make a difference to business travelers in a hurry.

As we鈥檝e covered previously, business travelers who travel the most (five times a year or more) are more likely to book travel on their smartphone and often book between a day and a week prior to departure 鈥� much different than leisure travelers. 

The irony is that the travelers who are most savvy have been frustrated by the lack of innovation in the corporate travel sector. Companies that are able to increase the satisfaction of these frequent business travelers 鈥� through easy booking, easy payments, and the technology to improve their travel experiences – will see greater adherence to policies and happier employees. 

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Oxford English Dictionary named 鈥渙vertourism鈥� one of its words of the year last year. Not surprising when you consider that countries around the world are dealing with the phenomenon鈥檚 negative impacts on the environment, local infrastructure and residents鈥� way of life. 

CNN recently reported that in 2018 were concentrated in just 300 cities. This is leading local officials to take action, from restricting construction of new hotels to implementing ticketing systems at popular attractions, levying taxes and even attempting to regulate bad behavior. 

No one way to manage overtourism听

The solutions being implemented by destinations seem to fall into three categories: taxing tourists, dispersing tourists or controlling tourists. Many locations are using a combination of the three.

Day-tripper taxes, tourism taxes and accommodation taxes are now the norm in many locations, including New Zealand, Macau, Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona. The prevailing wisdom is that taxes alone won鈥檛 solve the problem, because they aren鈥檛 always a strong enough deterrent. But, they do provide funding for local projects and infrastructure improvements.  

In an interview with Skift, Iain Cossar, New Zealand鈥檚 ministry general for tourism, said their International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is intended 鈥渢o , by helping to fund critical infrastructure, help destination management efforts, improve biodiversity and protect and enhance the environment.鈥�  

For Barcelona, a tax on overnight accommodations brought in $5 million in 2017, and the city publically identifies projects that were funded by the tax. The notes that Barcelona spent more than $10 million on infrastructure upgrades and projects promoting local culture in 2018.

Dispersing tourists across a city, a country or the year is another practice that appears to be having some success. For example, aiming to reduce the strain on Reykjavik without discouraging tourism, Iceland is promoting areas away from the city. As a backdrop for Game of Thrones, the Croatian city of Dubrovnik has experienced a sharp increase in visitors, which led its tourism board to push the year-round appeal of the city. Similar efforts are underway in Greece, where the tourism board is pushing lesser known destinations and slower seasons.

Areas experiencing overtourism have gotten creative developing measures to control tourists. Santorini limits the number of cruise ship visitors each day. Machu Picchu uses timed ticketing and the Taj Mahal limits visits to three hours. Venice installed turnstiles to manage tourist movement in high volume areas as well as limiting the number of visitors to specific sites. Barcelona is looking at curbing souvenir shops in its most popular areas, creating tours in off-the-beaten path locations and moving bus routes and motor coach parking to improve the flow of tourists. 

At least two Italian cities are working to curb the bad behavior that can come hand-in-hand with too many tourists. In Florence, city leaders want tourists to eat and drink in cafes instead of on the steps of religious and cultural sites. The solution? Pouring water on the steps keeps them clean and who don鈥檛 want a wet seat.  

It鈥檚 now illegal to organize pub crawls in Rome, and you don鈥檛 want to be caught or taking your rolling suitcase up the Spanish Steps.

Next steps in managing overtourism

Many recent articles have stressed that managing overtourism must be location specific, and it takes a combination of efforts that involve the residents, business owners and elected officials.

Earlier this year, The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) published Overtourism? Understanding and Managing Urban Tourism Growth Beyond Perceptions. The report includes case studies with specific actions taken in cities in the Americas, APAC and Europe. The UNWTO explained that it 鈥渆xamines how to manage tourism in urban destinations to the benefit of visitors and residents alike, offering a wide range of strategies and measures for a better understanding and management of challenges and opportunities.鈥�

Through the case studies the UNWTO identified 11 strategies (and 69 measures) for local officials and tourism boards to consider for their area鈥檚 unique challenges: 

• Promote the dispersal of visitors within the city and beyond
• Promote time-based dispersal of visitors
• Stimulate new visitor itineraries and attractions
• Review and adapt regulation
• Enhance visitors鈥� segmentation
• Ensure local communities benefit from tourism
• Create city experiences that benefit both residents and visitors
• Improve city infrastructure and facilities
• Communicate with and engage local stakeholders
• Communicate with and engage visitors
• Set monitoring and response measures

After reading this list proven strategies for managing overtourism, it鈥檚 clear that local, state and national governments need to take the lead.  As journalist Elizabeth Becker wrote in her book, , “Only governments can handle runaway tourism.” She noted, “Few major industries fall so squarely into their hands. Governments decide who is eligible for visas; how many cruise ships, airlines and trains can bring in visitors; how many hotels receive building permits; how many beaches are open to development; how many museums and concert halls are open.”

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Business travelers, particularly those who travel a lot, have a higher comfort level of making travel plans via their smartphone and with business travel apps, according to a recent survey from travel management company CWT. The survey, which examined the habits of corporate travelers across the globe, provides insight on how business travelers are using online and mobile tools when travelling.

Drivers for booking via mobile & business travel apps

Some interesting insights from the survey include:

• Those who travel more than five times a year are 13% more likely to book on their smartphone.
• Travelers are more likely to book on mobile when they are returning to a destination visited previously.
• Additionally, travelers are more likely to book via mobile closer to departure date, with 62% of mobile bookings happening between one day and one week prior to departure.

To add context to the research, CWT鈥檚 Amit Wurgaft, as quoted on explained, 鈥淭he more you travel, the more you use your smartphone, and that includes booking your flights directly through an app. Booking on your mobile device requires a level of confidence, born from experience.鈥�

Top business travel technologies

The survey also asked business travelers about the technologies they used the most when the traveled:
鈥� The favorite and most used technology was online check-in, which was used by 45% of respondents.
鈥� Online booking tools were used by 44% of business travelers surveyed.

Business travelers, even more so than leisure travelers, value efficiency, speed, and convenience. They don鈥檛 want to take the scenic route 鈥� getting to their destination quickly with as little hassle as possible is key. One way travelers achieve this is through business travel apps. Even beyond booking and managing flights, smartphones are used through business journeys.

Learn why Bleisure Travel Doesn鈥檛 Have To Make Expenses Complicated.

Business travel apps rank high In expenses

In a recent report from expense management company, , of customer expense habits in the second quarter of 2019, Uber ranked as the top expensed service by far. Uber was followed by Starbucks, with its rival Lyft coming in third. Both of these rideshare services are booked only via mobile app and save business travelers the time and hassle of hailing a taxi.

A more detailed report from Certify on ground transportation highlights a new trend in business traveler local transport: electric scooters. Companies such as Lime and Bird 鈥� both of which use mobile apps for booking their scooters – were accounted for in travelers鈥� expense reports. For confident travelers, scooters offer the option to get from point A to point B affordably and efficiently. Although it is worth nothing that the rules and laws over use of electric scooters differ from country-to-country and even between different U.S. states.

Tapping into the changing and growing landscape of ground transportation in business travel, car rental company, Avis, is investing heavily in improving the business traveler experience. about their efforts to reduce friction especially for those who travel frequently for business. The Avis mobile app aims lets travelers know upon arrival at their destination that their car is waiting for them 鈥� eliminating one area of stress for the business travel. The app also allows business travelers to switch cars for different options, sign rental agreements, and soon travelers may even be able to start their car with their phone 鈥� without needing to pick a key.

Business travelers鈥� affinity for app-based services is no coincidence. Business travelers need the ability to make travel plans on the go 鈥� between meetings, on the way to the airport, whenever it鈥檚 convenient. Companies that offer services providing flexibility and convenience will satisfy business travelers most.

For travel managers looking to provide the right tools for business travelers that match business requirements it could be time to ask 鈥� Is It Time To Choose A (Or Switch To A New) TMC?

Business travel ripe for innovation

Corporate travel can be area that is slow to innovate. Companies that meet business traveler needs in planning and even paying for travel on the go, as well as satisfying the demands of travel managers, are apt to be adopted enthusiastically.

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鈥淚t鈥檚 a that residents have, but it鈥檚 also degrading the tourist experience, because the tourist who is endlessly queuing behind backpacks of hundreds of other tourists is not discovering the real or the authentic place,鈥� said Justin Francis, the chief executive of Responsible Travel in a New York Times by Farhad Manjoo.

In the decade since the end of the global financial crisis, 鈥� to help reverse course on their flagging economies,鈥� writes Dan Peltier for Skift.com. Increased destination marketing, a better financial situation for the growing middle class, low-cost travel options and even social media are forces that have led more and more people to pack their bags and go.

CBC/Radio-Canada hosted a radio panel in January about stopping overtourism from 鈥渞uining the world鈥檚 greatest cities and natural wonders.鈥� While the panelists offered differing opinions, they all agreed that .鈥�

What can destinations do?

Communities are experimenting with solutions. Writing for nationalgeographic.com, , lists several efforts underway:

• Barcelona has 鈥減romised tighter controls on mass tourism, short-term apartment rentals, hotel development, and other challenges.鈥�
• Amsterdam is looking at 鈥渢ourist redistribution techniques.鈥�
• Iceland has 鈥渓aunched a Tourist Site Protection Fund, and Reykjav铆k has banned permits for new hotel construction downtown.鈥�

In its , Trekksoft shared initiatives undertaken over the past couple years by destinations working to improve sustainability:

• Botswana introduced a $30 tax for arriving tourists 鈥渢o raise money to support safari conservation.
• Dubrovnik announced two-year plan to reduce the number of visitors.
• Maya Bay in Thailand closed for three months to 鈥渞everse damage caused to the surrounding coral reef.鈥�

And the list goes on鈥攆rom taxes on day-trippers, cruise passengers and hikers to bans on motor coaches and timed entry policies. While they may take a hit financially in the short-term destinations are looking at the long-term and the sustainability of what draws travelers to their area and what keeps their residents living there.

Bart van Poll, co-founder of Spotted by Locals, explains, 鈥淭he rise in total tourist numbers is not the problem. People in almost all countries in the world would be very happy to see more tourists. The problem is that .鈥�

鈥淢anaging a tourist destination is something like managing a natural resource, like a mine or a fishery,鈥� said New York Times opinion columnist Farhad Manjoo. 鈥淎 sustainable level of tourists brings widespread gains to the local economy, but too many ruin it for everyone. 鈥� to gently discourage some forms of travel without appearing unwelcoming to others.鈥�

The , based on perceptions of European city residents, proposes 11 strategies that include promoting dispersal of visitors within the city and beyond, stimulating new visitor itineraries and attractions, ensuring local communities benefit from tourism, creating city experiences to benefit both residents and tourists and improving city infrastructure and facilities.

Two of the report鈥檚 key conclusions are:

• Measures cannot focus only on altering tourist visitor numbers and tourist behavior 鈥� they should also focus on local stakeholders.
• Urban tourism makes an important contribution to the socio-economic development of cities and the well-being of their residents and should contribute to create better cities for all: citizens, investors and visitors.鈥�

In a January travelweekly.com piece by Jeri Clausing, Tim Fairhurst, secretary general of the European Tourism Association, praises efforts in Scotland. “They are doing an extremely intelligent exercise of inviting all the stakeholders who are interested to put comments online,” he said. “Then they are running roundtables in various cities in Scotland. There were people there with very polarized opinions, but it was being discussed in a very constructive way.”

A member of the CBC/Radio-Canada panel, Elizabeth Becker, author of听Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, cites work in Bordeaux, France as another example of what鈥檚 working. The 鈥渕ayor reconfigured his city, and to replace their old industry of shipping … but did it in such a way that the money stayed in Bordeaux.鈥�

What can travel companies do?

Travel companies are doing their part as well, including adjusting tour dates and times at popular tourist sites to avoid the largest crowds. “We are selective with the days of the week we are bringing guests to overcrowded destinations,鈥� said Jon Crutzner, president of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold. 鈥� of tourism in many regions, such as Venice, Rome and Barcelona.”

Skift鈥檚 Dan Peltier writes, 鈥�.听Intrepid Travel, for example, published a 鈥榥ot hot list鈥� for 2019 for Asia that promotes itineraries for alternative destinations such as 鈥楽umatra is the new Borneo鈥� and 鈥楤ukhara is the new Angkor Wat.鈥欌��

What can travelers do?
Sustainable travel specialist Sunny Fitzgerald鈥檚 recommendations include traveling in the off-season, avoiding travel in large groups that 鈥渢end to overwhelm destinations鈥� and spreading 鈥渢he love and spend your money at local shops and restaurants wherever possible.鈥�

Her top recommendation, and that of other travel experts as well, is to to locations impacted by overtourism. For example, an alternative to Thailand鈥檚 Andaman Sea beaches that 鈥渉ave attracted so much tourism attention that the natural environment and local way of life have been deeply, and potentially irreversibly, impacted鈥� is Mozambique鈥檚 鈥渕ore than 1,500 miles of coastline along the Indian Ocean鈥攎uch of which is insanely stunning and unspoiled.鈥�

The idea of alternate destinations is consistent with a 鈥減arallel trend鈥� to overtourism Dan Peltier describes as 鈥�.鈥� He sees it playing out 鈥渋n some emerging destinations that are framing themselves as peaceful yet exciting alternatives to the packed streets of other cities.鈥�

Spotted by Locals鈥� van Poll says, 鈥淎ll the research points to the fact that, increasingly, a truly local experience is what travellers are looking for. And increasingly, in cities worst affected by tourism, they are facing cold indifference and even open hostility. By daring to be unconventional and supporting the 鈥榰nderdog鈥�, .鈥�

Writing for the Washington Post in January, Christopher Elliott says, 鈥淥vertourism will . First, they鈥檒l need to research their trips a little more carefully, in case a closure or a daily visitor quota affects an intended destination. But, perhaps more important, smart travelers will rethink plans to visit some popular destinations and听choose some less-traveled ones.鈥�

Beyond overtourism
Overtourism may be the hottest topic in terms of sustainable or ethical travel these days, but it鈥檚 not the only topic.

Freelance journalist Elaine Glusac wrote a piece on sustainable travel for the New York Times last year. 鈥� aims to ensure money spent on a tour or a trip stays in the community. Organizations promoting social impact travel aim to emphasize not just big do-good trips, but to educate travelers about their smallest decisions, such as eating at a locally owned restaurant.鈥�

Glusac mentions a few examples like The Meaningful Travel Map of Jordan听that includes a Bedouin camp stay, a women鈥檚 weaving group and village tours that support local entrepreneurs. Impact Travel Tours by Collette tour company spend equal time sightseeing and visiting local improvement projects.

And this type of travel makes sense for another reason; it鈥檚 attractive to travelers. The found 鈥渢ours that use proceeds to fund ecological projects such as forest or animal habitat restoration are chosen above alternatives without a cause.鈥�

Ethical travel is even more important to Millennial and Gen Z travelers, as a 2018 Intrepid Travel study found. 鈥�,鈥� writes Mia Taylor for travelpulse.com. She adds, 鈥淢illennials expect travel companies to offer socially-conscious travel options.鈥�

Among other findings are insights into what younger travelers (18-29-years old) consider important when booking travel: travel company鈥檚 commitment to ethical travel (90%) and knowing travel dollars are supporting local communities (51%)

The survey of 2,000 North American travelers found:

• 58% of younger travelers (18-29 years old) versus 32% of those 51 and older 鈥渨ould spend more on travel if they knew their money was going into local communities鈥�
• 43% of 18-29-year-olds versus 32% of travelers 41-50 years old and 17% of those 51 and older 鈥渂elieve it鈥檚 important that a company focuses on environmental and social causes they care about.鈥�

Taylor quotes Darshika Jones, Intrepid Travel鈥檚 director of North America, 鈥淚n an increasingly connected world, younger generations are more aware than ever of environmental and societal issues around the globe, and how their decisions impact those issues.鈥�

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In Deloitte鈥檚 , it is noted that consumers spending continues to 鈥渟hift from products to experiences, and travel is outpacing demand for goods.鈥�

What type of experiences are travelers looking for? 糖心Vlogand Mastercard took a look at what motivates Americans to travel in a recent survey of 1,500 US travelers. The findings were interesting, particularly when comparing travelers of different ages (from Gen Z to Boomers). Some travel attitudes span generations, while others differ only slightly by age and a few are significantly more important to one age group or another.

The 糖心Vlogand Mastercard 2018 Travel Trends report identified respondents鈥� key travel attitudes, and the top 5 are:

• Vacation is a time to be active (69%)
• When traveling I want to see the most well-known and popular sites (67%)
• Vacation is a time for me to meet new people and have new experiences (66%)
• Vacation is a time for me to reconnect with family and friends (65%)
• When traveling I prefer to be spontaneous and let each day unfold (60%)

Last year Expedia had similar results when surveying 1,001 travelers who鈥檇 booked online in the past year. In , the analysts report that while 鈥渄eals/value for money鈥� was the leading factor driving travel considerations across all age groups, the second was 鈥淚鈥檒l go anywhere that allows me to explore the outdoors and be active.鈥� They found 鈥溾�橸ou only live once鈥� opportunities also rank high鈥� for all age groups.

Going to see friends or family is high on the list across all travelers, according to the 糖心Vlogand Mastercard survey. Sixty-eight percent of consumers expect to travel to reconnect with friends or family in 2018. Other cross-generation travel motivators included visiting a new city in the US (54%) and taking a beach vacation at a resort or hotel (40%).

Sometimes age does matter & sometimes it doesn鈥檛

When asked about the type of trip they planned to take in 2018, the 糖心Vlogand Mastercard respondents鈥� plans differed by age in some categories:

• 鈥淓xplore a foreign country not been to before鈥� had the biggest response from Millennials (40%), while Gen Z (30%), Gen X (26%) and Boomers (30%) ranked it lower
• Gen Z (31%) is most likely to 鈥渢ravel to pursue an activity or hobby interested in,鈥� with Millennials close behind (28%), followed by Gen X (21%) and Boomers (17%)
• 鈥淐amping鈥� ranged from 35% of Gen Z down to only 11% of Boomers who planned to stay in the big outdoors in 2018
• Heading to 鈥渁 destination known for culinary scene/foodie reputation鈥� is on the list for 26% of Millennials, 19% of Gen X, and only 16% for both Gen Z and Boomers
• 20% of Millennials and 19% of Gen X will 鈥渢ravel to achieve balance/wellness,鈥� while just 13% of Gen Z and 10% of Boomers will do so

AARP鈥檚 Travel Research: 2017 Travel Trends, which was conducted in late 2016, included 1,721 travelers classified as Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. This survey asked about a different set of trip types than the 糖心Vlogand Mastercard survey, and also found some interesting variations between age groups. For international travel, 鈥渂ucket list鈥� trips scored highest with Boomers (34%), while 鈥渟ummer vacation鈥� was their top domestic trip (29%).  In the Gen X group, 鈥渟ummer vacation鈥� was the biggest draw both internationally (31%) and domestically (33%).  鈥淩omantic getaway鈥� was Millennials鈥� top international pick (31%) and, domestically 鈥渨eekend getaway鈥� won, coming in at 35%.

While there are some types of activities or attractions that appeal to one age group more than another, identifying the common travel attitudes and interests across generations is imperative to launching a broad outreach strategy, targeting a wide range of consumers.

In the 糖心Vlogand Mastercard report, it is suggested: 鈥淲hile the focus is on nurturing future travelers, like Millennials and Gen Z, more and more travel companies are looking for inter-generational commonalities to multiply the impact of offers and advertising. Travel companies should maximize existing relationships with suppliers to cultivate discounts and one-stop booking, suiting both generations at once.鈥�

Download the full 2018 Travel Trends Report.

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More than 1,500 respondents shared their travel habits and preferences. While 93% of respondents say they鈥檒l travel within the U.S. in 2018, 62% plan to travel internationally this year鈥攁 12% increase over 2017. Thirty-six percent of those surveyed expect to take more trips in 2018 than last year, while 39% will travel the same amount, 19% plan to take fewer trips and 6% are unsure.

International travel is seen as an 鈥渙pportunity to learn about other people and cultures鈥� by 84% of respondents, and 64% said they鈥檙e 鈥渃omfortable traveling in foreign countries.鈥�

Where will they go?

Outside of North America, Europe is the most popular spot at 29%, which is a 7% increase over 2017. Next, Central American/Caribbean was cited by 23% of the respondents (up from 17% last year). Australia/New Zealand came in at 6%, up from 2%.

Asia, South America and Africa saw slight increases.

While not specific to U.S. travelers, the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2018 expectations are consistent with the findings from Mastercard and 糖心Vlogfindings. The UNWTO noted in a January press release that 鈥渂ased on current trends, economic prospects and the outlook by the UNWTO Panel of Experts, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals worldwide to grow at a rate of 4%-5% in 2018鈥urope and the Americas are both expected to grow by 3.5%-4.5%, Asia and the Pacific by 5%-6%, Africa by 5%-7% and the Middle East by 4%-6%.鈥�

How will they decide?

When asked what factors respondents consider when making decisions about where to travel, 鈥渟afe place to visit鈥� was number one at 63%. Travelers are also looking for a location that 鈥渨ill be relaxing鈥� (58%), 鈥渨ill be exciting鈥� (56%), has 鈥済reat food鈥� (54%) and 鈥渃ultural attractions鈥� (53%). Forty-eight percent noted that friends and family impacted their choice.

New international destinations are calling

Travelers have help when deciding where to travel this year. In addition to recommendations from friends and family, there are countless lists of top 10, top 25 or even top 50 locations for 2018. From the best luxury destinations to the top bargain spots, the safest places or the up-and-coming locales, there is a list. Some spots are included on many lists (think Finland, Morocco, Grenada and South Korea). But, each list also includes a surprise or two.

beautifully showcases locations from Argentina to Zambia. Kate Spring describes 艩olta, Croatia, (鈥渢he jewel of the Adriatic Sea鈥�) as 鈥渉ome to more than 1,200 islands鈥� and adds that there鈥檚 a new, more convenient way to travel between the islands this year with 鈥淯berBOAT, from the popular ride-sharing app.鈥�

Looking for ? Travel Weekly recommends accommodations like the restored Raffles Europejski in Warsaw (鈥渨hich was once one of the most luxurious hotels in the Russian Empire鈥�); Silversands, Grenada鈥檚 first luxury resort; the Rosewood Luang Prabang in Laos; Six Senses Bhutan, and two One&Only Resorts opening in Rwanda (one is a working tea plantation).

For the budget-minded, Forbes.com鈥檚 created The 27 Best Budget Travel Destinations for 2018. Their panel of experts suggests diverse options, such as Xian, China and it鈥檚 Terracotta Warriors. Other destinations included on the list are Montenegro, Senegal, Namibia, Herzegovina, Morocco and Cambodia.

As the Mastercard-糖心Vlogsurvey found, U.S. travelers are focused on safety. And Cheapair.com created a list for those visitors –鈥�. Their suggestions: Iceland, Chile, Australia, Oman, Norway, Greenland, Canada and Malaysia.

The offers lists of the top 10 cities, the top 10 countries, the top 10 regions and the top 10 best value destinations. The top 10 countries list includes several locations already mentioned as well as Djibouti, Georgia and Mauritius.

And this is just a handful of the travel lists out there for 2018. What鈥檚 in style changes from year-to-year. A location that once was top of everyone鈥檚 list can fall out of favor and then see a resurgence a few years later. So many factors impact where travelers will head each year鈥攁 global event, a national celebration, a change in government or policies, an attractive exchange rate or something as simple as a viral video.

In a for 2018, writer Justin Sablich quotes Hipmunk鈥檚 chief executive, Adam Goldstein. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about supply and demand. In this case, demand is in response to things like currency fluctuations, perception of which destinations are hot and supply is determined by factors such as airlines launching new routes or changing what size planes they鈥檙e using.鈥�

Keeping up with travelers changing tastes

Serving these travelers and their changing interests in destinations requires partnerships that help travel companies respond, wherever they need to do business. Handling payments is a critical part of the dynamic travel market, and virtual payments can make it easier to operate in new locations. VCNs allow suppliers to be paid quickly in more than 150 currencies, which typically saves 3% per transaction by avoiding FX rate mark ups and cross-currency fees. Also, billing in up to 21 currencies globally can avoid FX rate fluctuation risk.

International travel continues to increase and travelers continue to explore new places, looking for new experiences. The ability to adapt within this fluid industry is critical for success.

Download the full 2018 Travel Trends Report

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