People are settling back into their usual travel spending habits after a post-pandemic revenge travel surge, the latest SpendTrend24 report , compiled by Discovery Bank and Visa. Consumer spend data in 14 emerging and developed market cities and insights spanning over 60 million credit cards, show rising prices in the travel industry especially in emerging markets like South Africa mean that spend on travel is increasing but there are ways to save and travel more. Take a look at some facts that may spark your wanderlust.
What do South Africans say about saving on travel?- Cost of travel trumps all other factors when deciding whether to travel locally or internationally. Over a third of South Africans who want to travel abroad, but dont plan to in the next year, say cost is an obstacle.
- Most, but especially younger families, value the ability to use rewards or discounts to lower travel expenses and people agree reward programmes are crucial in making travel more accessible.
- Similar to global trends, many are bleisure travelling to save, by combining business trips with leisure activities and extending stays with remote work opportunities.
- Favourite international destinations were the United Kingdom, the United States, Mauritius, Australia and Italy. The two biggest increases in popularity for travel, were Mauritius, and travel to France, for the Rugby World Cup.
- On the home front, Cape Town came out as the top destination, followed by Johannesburg and then Durban.
- There is a trend of people moving from inland areas to cities along the Garden Route, which has increased travel to East London, George and Gqeberha.
Rewards enabled Discovery Bank clients to spend more on travel compared with the average South African. By using their credit cards, they benefitted significantly from the value of rewards. In 2023, Discovery Bank clients saved over R670 million on discounted flights, car hire and accommodation through Vitality Travel.
The best times to travel and save based onOn main routes, prices are mainly affected by demand, which means travelers often pay much more to travel on popular days.
There are some days that are cheaper to travel on than others. Travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town is still the most popular route and is usually cheaper on a Saturday and the most expensive on a Sunday, with an average price difference of over 32%. On other flight routes, the cost difference between two days can be as much as 45%. So, where possible, being flexible will give you the chance to get the best price.
The research shows early or later flights are generally cheaper. From Johannesburg to Cape Town, based on time, the cheapest flight is on a Sunday at 05:00. While extremely early, it may give you more bleisure time. Its no surprise that flights around 16:00 on a Friday cost more demand boosts prices. From Cape Town to Johannesburg, on the other hand, the cheapest time to fly is Wednesday at 21:00 and the most expensive time is Sunday at 12:00. There are similar trends on all major routes, so with a little research, its possible to match your schedule to the flight time that works for you and your wallet.
