Expedia offers a ‘Helping Hand’ with three tips for holiday planning!
- 56% of Hong Kong travellers feel stressed at the thought of booking their next big trip, according to the Expedia Travel Companions Report
- Recognising that for many the idea of booking a trip may be daunting, Expedia recently announced new features in an effort to be the ultimate travel companion
Hong Kong’s travel deprived post-COVID-19 holidaymakers are craving an escape from the household chores after over a year of travel restrictions and border closures, an Expedia survey reveals.
The Expedia Travel Companions Report^ conducted in April 2021, surveyed 1,000 Hong Kong respondents revealed that on enjoying their next foreign travel experience. 46% were looking forward to not walking the same predictable commuter route each day, with 45% saying they looked forward to arranging future post-vaccination holiday booking activities to escape the dreary current day-to-day routine.
With 40% of those surveyed saying they simply can’t wait to travel anywhere overseas once again, 56% of respondents said they were most looking forward to escaping washing the dishes and cleaning the house. Making the bed and changing the sheets was the second most arduous chore (42%) eager travellers wished to most avoid, closely followed by having to do the laundry (41%). Even working from home has lost its lustre, with 39% desperate to escape work, whether the home or office desktop.
However, although Hong Kongers are looking forward to resuming travel, over half (56%) of respondents admitted to being stressed at the thought of booking an overseas trip in the next 12 months. Some 54% therefore agreed that they would welcome more of a ‘helping hand’ when booking a trip than they did before COVID-19, with an overwhelming 57% revealing their ultimate ‘helping hand’ would be a mobile travel app. Among all respondents, 47% puts a strong emphasis on finding all COVID-19 related travel procedures, tests and clearances in one single place.
To address the evolving travel needs of local travellers in a post-vaccination world, Expedia, as one of the world’s leading full-service travel companies, is ready to double down on efforts to ensure they are supported with a helping hand to assist them throughout their planning, booking and travel journey. Expedia has introduced ‘Everything in one place’, an itinerary experience that allows customers to see all their trip details in one place. Would-be travellers have the ability to pick up where they left off with a ‘keep planning’ feature that plays back recent searches as well as recent bookings. New features provide reassurance and a helping hand to travellers around the world, including:
- Helpful tools: the new COVID-19 Travel Advisory tool helps travellers search for travel advisories around the world, including regulations for destinations, and safety and health guidelines.
- Improved support: new Virtual Agent capabilities allow many travellers to view their bookings, check their refund status, ask about hotel amenities or cancel/amend parts of their trips with ease.
- Extra perks: customers will receive more Expedia Rewards points on app bookings, which can be redeemed on future trips. Plus, premium Expedia Rewards customers booking VIP Access hotels can benefit from room upgrades, spa credits and late check out (subject to availability).
“It is going to take time for travellers to adjust to a post-COVID-19 situation under the new norm – we are here for them, every step of the way. Providing a helping hand to travellers is our mission, arming them with all the information they need to confidently plan their next trip. As a travel company, we are on a multi-year journey to be the ultimate travel partner with our travellers, understanding their wants and needs,” said Celia Cheng, Senior Marketing Manager, Expedia. “Planning a trip should not be stressful and by promising our unwavering commitment and support, travellers can focus on getting the most out of their vacations once again.”
Expedia is set to becoming the ultimate travel companion, helping Hong Kong travellers every step of the way.
^About the Expedia Travel Companions Report
The Travel Companions Report was conducted by independent survey company One Poll, between 8th to 16th April, 2021 in Hong Kong from a sample of 1,000 adults who have experienced previous foreign holidays and within the age range of 20 to 59.