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Source: U.S. News Travel

In the past, vacation planning was thought to have changed into an online industry. Today, vacation planning is changing and travel advisers are once again in high demand.

Travelers are tired of planning their own trips, searching and searching for the experience of their dreams, only to be left frustrated and disappointed. Tourism consumers are looking for trusted resources now more than ever to create personal, memorable trips. As the travel industry prepares for 2018, it's important to know what trends to expect. Below is a list of the top travel trends to watch out for in 2018.

Sources: MarketingProfs & Display Wizard

Trade shows are an important marketing tool for many industries, especially travel. How have trade shows changed over the years as businesses are modernizing? According to MarketingProfs, Display Wizard surveyed 100 regular exhibitors on the pros and cons of this marketing channel. They found that trade shows are still a significant channel for many marketers, with 75% of respondents saying they see a big future for trade show marketing. Keep reading for more survey findings and know what strategies regular exhibitors use to ensure trade show success.

Source: Skift

For years, cruise lines have been trying to target younger travelers for cruise vacations. In the past, cruises have been perceived as a vacation option for older travelers. Millennials are finally realizing that cruises are relatively affordable, and that a wide variety of entertainment options are included. Step aside Boomers, the Millennials seem to be taking over many cruise vacations. 

Sources: MarketingProfs & Travel Pulse

With summer approaching, travelers are on the prowl for a relaxing getaway. Although the season is rapidly approaching, there's still time for your travel brand to reach, influence, and engage summer travelers. In order to pull this off, it's important to do your research. Produce the right content and receive the best results by asking "What are our consumers searching online lately?" and "Where do they plan on going in the near future?" Keep reading for the latest travel-related google search trends and the top destinations U.S. travelers are interested in for summer 2017.

Sources:Vogue & Skift

Travel brands already know that today's travelers are looking for authentic, life-changing experiences. Experiential travel was the travel trend of 2016. This year, however, tourism consumers are looking for something even deeper. They not only want the experience of a lifetime, they want it to last a lifetime, and they want to be transformed in the process. Today's travelers want transformative travel. This 2017 trend is the next phase of traveler engagement that your brand should focus on.

Source: Travel Pulse

In recent years, the travel agent community has been facing some struggles pertaining to public awareness, however, according to a new ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) report on 2017 travel trends, travel agents are making a comeback. Why is this? Millennials are becoming more and more interested in seeking the help of a travel agent, and their travel cravings are at an all-time high.

Sources: Skift Content Studio and Amadeus

According to Skift, the two most important factors for the travel industry in the battle of booking online are speed and relevance. Travel brands are losing sales rapidly because a page simply will not load fast enough for the consumer. Metasearch sites recognize this, and are combining speed, relevance, and content depth in order to change the online booking travel industry. 

Sources: Conde Nast Traveler & Certify, Inc.

Business travelers who are traveling for a few days at a time for international meetings are expected to spend a whopping $318.9 billion in 2016. The question is, what expenses are all these business travelers using their company cards on? Following in the average millennial's footsteps, the modern business traveler is spending more and more money on Uber and Airbnb.

Sources: GFK & The Drum

Consisting of more than 400 million people, Chinese millennials make up a rapidly growing force in consumer spending. Because this consumer group is emerging rapidly, it’s important for your travel brand to know what strategies are working best to reach them. How should you do this? Research and know about the habits and preferences of todays Chinese millennial travelers. Take a deeper look:

For travel brands, trade show marketing is a great way to interact with prospective customers, increase profitability, improve productivity, and increase ROI. Why is this? Face-to-face marketing is the number one tool to get your travel brand to the top of it's market. The traveler of today wants to see, hear, and experience what you want them to open their wallets for. Trade show expenses are an investment, and the right travel show will provide ROI more impressive than any other form of marketing. So how should your brand go about budgeting for a trade show? Check out these helpful tips from Marketing Profs.