These post-pandemic travel trends are hot right now, according to Trivago’s CFO

As we waited for travel restrictions to be lifted, many people made plans to travel after the pandemic ended. However, this wasn’t a passing fad. According to Trivago’s CFO, Matthias Tillmann, leisure travel is higher than it was before the pandemic, and this is true despite the persistent rise in prices brought on by the industry.

According to the latest Traveler Insights Report by Expedia Group, nearly half of consumers around the world say travel is more important to them now than it was before the pandemic.

“It’s more anecdotal evidence, but what I’m hearing is that travelers are putting more importance on having experiences and are cutting back in other areas [to be able to travel more],” Tillmann told Sheryl Estrada of Fortune.

According to Tillmann, Trivago, an Expedia subsidiary, continues to see that hotel prices are up year after year as its key performance indicator of the average booking value is increasing. Consumers’ responses to price increases vary by season. Tillmann says that tourists this past summer shortened their trips in order to save money. Weekend trips, or those lasting two to three nights, were up on Trivago as the colder months approached, he added.

Customers of Trivago have always been flexible and impulsive travelers, according to Tillmann. They used to book two to four months in advance before the pandemic, but now they do so one to three months in advance to get a better deal, he confirmed.

According to Trivago’s most recent earnings report, its annual revenue increased by 48% to about $566 million (EUR 535 million) last year. Tillmann notes that the full-year 2022 revenue was only roughly 70% of 2019 levels.

“We spend our money much more efficiently,” he elaborated. “And by doing so we have fewer people coming to the website because we don’t buy certain visits that were unprofitable before.” According to Tillmann, however, Trivago’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was 50% higher than 2019 levels.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.

This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 4:52 PM with the headline "These post-pandemic travel trends are hot right now, according to Trivago’s CFO."