From “undertourism,” to escapism and DNA travel, and destinations like Sir Lanka and Cyprus, a host of new or continuing trends and destinations, as always, will help shape the travel in the coming months (and beyond), according to prognosticators throughout the industry. And there are many of them.
Some forecasts are based on empirical data (surveys, sales figures, forward bookings), others on simple crystal-ball gazing. And some, we suspect, merely hopeful of what some fortune tellers would like to happen. Nevertheless, with no pre-judgement, we offer a cumulative and condensed look at what, various experts believe, is up in travel:
TL NETWORK
Clients spending more and booking longer trips are among the key trends for 2020, reports TL Network in its recently released trends summary for the year. Other notable trends, according to North America’s largest retail travel agency organization:
• Cruise: Over 30 new ships from river vessels to mega-ships entering the marketplace signifies the continuing “explosive” growth of the cruise industry, which forecasts 32 million passengers in 2020.
• Guided vacations: A desire for curated travel is leading to “a huge comeback” for guided vacations – especially among Millennial travellers who are looking for deeper insight and exploration of off-the-beaten path destinations, albeit in smaller more intimate group settings.
• Destinations (Canada): Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Rep; double digit growth for some destinations in Europe.
FLIGHT CENTRE
Flight Centre’s top 10 travel destinations for 2020 follow a pattern of falling outside “classic destinations,” where Canadians seek to “beat the crowds and discover something special before everyone else catches on.”
• Merida: A “hidden gem” on the otherwise well-trodden Yucatan Peninsula.
• Sweden: A worthwhile alternative to a busy destination like Venice or Paris, with fashionable cities, Baltic beaches, and mountains.
• Scotland: An underestimated haven for hiking and camping – boasting lochs, links, highlands, and castles to trek to.
• Costa Rica: Has huge appeal for nature-lovers thanks to its diverse rainforests, waterfalls, thermal springs, and beaches.
• Bali: Has a special appeal for solo adventurers, foodies, and couples seeking something original for a romantic getaway.
• Bahamas: Many generous Canadians want to know what they can do to help rebuild Grand Bahama Island and Abaco after Hurricane Dorian.
• Philippines: A bit “far-flung” for Canadians, but affordable and filled with immaculate beaches and great cuisine.
• Cyprus: A step further into the Mediterranean beyond the Greek islands and ideal in combination with Turkey, starting in northern Cyprus.
• Vietnam: Steadily becoming a more mainstream destination with a surge of new options, from cycling tours and foodie trips to river cruises.
G ADVENTURES
Unable to contain its hot destinations for 2020 to just 10, G Adventures offers this top 12 list:
• Nepal: It’s been five years since the devastating April 2015 earthquake and tourism is back on track.
• Georgia: Georgian food and wine are both having a moment in media spotlight and flights from Europe have never been cheaper.
• Madagascar: Recently visited by the Pope, ‘Lemur island’ is a gem off the coast of southern Africa.
• Sri Lanka: Rich culture, stunning shoreline, no more travel advisories.
• Ireland: Galway has been named as a European Capital of Culture for 2020.
• Nicaragua: Beautiful beaches, world-class surf and stunning colonial architecture.
• Brazil: The destination appears to be firmly back on traveller’s hot lists.
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Sail from hidden coves to secluded beaches in a comfortable catamaran, with time for snorkelling some of the Caribbean’s best sites.
• Laos: Follow the Mekong by boat into the heart and soul of Laos.
• Japan: Host of this year’s Summer Olympic Games.
• South Africa: Next year will mark 30 years since Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
• Greenland: US president Trump put the spotlight on the destination when he said he wanted to buy it.
EXPEDIA
Together with Condé Nast Traveller, Expedia offers five travel trends for 2020 with accompanying destinations to satisfy them:
• Off-season surprises: Thinner crowds, cheaper prices, and sometimes even better weather can benefit travellers going in shoulder seasons (Greek Isles; San Francisco; Devon, U.K.)
• Learning with locals: Local culture is best discovered through (sometimes unexpected) activities, like surfing in Queens, New York, attending art exhibitions in Prague, cooking classes in Rome or hunting truffles in Croatia.
• The alternative bucket list: Conscious travellers are choosing popular sights with sustainability, such as Vinicunca (‘Rainbow Mountain’) instead of Machu Picchu; Goblin Valley, Utah, rather than the ‘Mighty Five’ parks; the standing stones of the Orkney Islands over Stonehenge; and sailing to Coron Island, Philippines instead of Vietnam’s Halong Bay.
• Immersive art: Getting to the heart of the art in natural settings through permanent art parks and other outdoor realms (Hakone, Japan; Fishtail, Montana; Chandigarh, India; and Benque Veijo Del Carmen, Belize.
• Wellness for the mind: Venues that promote “switching off” include: Emerito, a digital detox retreat in Italy’s Umbria Valley; Akasha Wellness Retreat in a Romanian national park; beach yoga and surfing at Paradis Plage in Agadir, Morocco; and calming mind and body through Ayurvedic techniques at Plantation Villa, Kalutara Sri Lanka.
BOOKING.COM
Booking.com says travel in 2020 will be fueled by technology as well as a growing sense of responsibility by travellers who want a deeper connection with destinations and their residents.
• ‘Second city’ travellers: 45% of Canadians would swap their original destination for lesser known, but similar, alternatives, if they knew it would leave less of an environmental impact.
• Tech-spect the unexpected: 54% want tech to offer them a ‘wildcard’ or surprise options that would introduce them to something entirely new.
• Slo-Mo is the new #FOMO: 47% of travellers plan to take slower modes of transport to reduce their environmental impact, and 65% would prefer to take a longer route to experience more of the journey itself.
SKYSCANNER
According Skyscanner’s 2020 Canadian Travel Trends Report almost three-quarters (73%) of Canadians plan to travel in 2020. Among the top trends are:
• Slow travel: 40% of Canadians say they’re prioritizing rest over sightseeing for their next trip.
• Micro escapes: From hiking and camping trips to short weekend getaways and domestic destinations, 34% of Canadians say they’re planning a micro escape.
• JOMO trips: 24% of Canadians say they’re looking forward to JOMO, or the “joy of missing out,” on their next vacation, which is to say missing out on the crowds by travelling off-season to alternative or less popular destinations.
• Local gastronomy: Nearly one-in-five Canadians plan their vacations around trying local cuisine – everything from Michelin star restaurants to food trucks.
• Transformative journeys: 7% percent of Canadians want to get to know themselves better through self-improvement like yoga or meditation retreats, or by completing charitable work like building schools or planting trees.
CLUB MED
Club Med reports that it sees a shift towards enriching and novel experiences with focus on five pillars: eco-tourism, wellness, technology, culture and…
• Multi-generational trips: Travellers with ever-busier lives want to carve out quality time with family where each member has time to connect with one another, often with several generations staying together for a longer period of time and away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This has resulted in a growing demand in the market for travel options that are suitable for grandparents, parents and kids.
DIAMOND RESORTS
Change and evolution are more fast-paced than ever, with shifting demographics and developing technology prompting new travel trends, says Mike Flaskey, CEO of Diamond Resorts International. They include:
• Bleisure travel: The blurring of lines between business and leisure – especially among Millennials – is increasing combo business and leisure trips: ‘bleisure.’
• Purpose-driven travel: People want to go somewhere and really make a difference – from taking a volunteer vacation to simply choosing a specific hotel, product or brand to support certain values or causes.
• Environmental travel: All green travel trends – from sustainable travel methods and locations to volunteer vacations – are on the rise and businesses across the travel industry have embraced this trend.
• Insta-tourism: Instagram is having a huge impact on the travel industry and according to one recent British survey, 40% of respondents under 33 consider “instagrammability” the most important factor in choosing their holiday destination.
• DNA trips: Ancestral tourism is on the rise as travellers desire to track down their backgrounds. A recent poll stated that 23% of long-haul trips to Scotland are based upon ancestry alone.
• Cashless travel. Technology has facilitated the ability for travellers to venture forth without cash in their pockets, instead moving forward with such options as mobile and touch payments.
• Personalization. As travel brands and destinations have become more sophisticated in the ways they can collect data about their guests, many forward-thinking brands are going above and beyond in order to convert customer data into actual personalized experiences.
WORLD EXPEDITIONS
From remote and little-known treks to historic pilgrim trails, World Expeditions offers seven of the most underrated destinations for an active holiday for 2020:
• Caucasus Mountains: The new Transcaucasian Trail has been dubbed “trekking’s next big thing.” Once complete, it will extend more than 3,000 km., connecting more than 20 national parks, UNESCO listed sites and protected areas across Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
• Turkestan Range: A magnet for active adventurers seeking true wilderness, unspoilt beauty and a sense of isolation.
• Simien Mountains: Ethiopia’s fascinating history, dating back more than 3,000 years, is evident in its rock-hewn churches, medieval castles and ancient obelisks.
• China’s Rainbow Mountains: Not to be confused with Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, China’s Rainbow Mountains display an equally astonishing range of colours but remain fairly unknown internationally.
• Jordan Trail: The recently completed 650-km. path loosely follows an ancient trade route that originally stretched from Egypt to Aqaba and on to Damascus in Syria and takes 40 days to complete in its entirety.
• Gokyo Lakes: Less crowded than Nepal’s Mt. Everest region, the Lakes remain the region’s biggest secret and still provide sensational views of Everest.
• Japan’s pilgrim trails: The ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrim trail remains largely off most international visitors’ itineraries, but welcomes 200,000 Japanese each year.
MICE
Based on data collected from nearly 7,000 meeting and incentive programs in over 500 destinations, Global DMC Partners’s Global Destination index lists the most popular meeting and incentive destinations around the world that are trending for 2020:
• Meetings & Conferences: San Diego, Nashville, Singapore, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., Austin, Bahamas, Phoenix.
• Incentive destinations: Greece, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Budapest, Aruba, Iceland, New York, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico.
WEDDINGS
Flowercard, an online florist, has compiled a destination wedding index, based on such criteria as hotel prices, instagrammability, and LGBTQ+ friendliness, to come up with the following 2020 wedding destination rankings (scores out of 100):
Top 10:
⦁ Las Vegas (70.01)
⦁ Sydney (68.67)
⦁ Majorca, Spain (67.47)
⦁ Perth, Australia (67.45)
⦁ Brisbane (67)
⦁ Rio de Janeiro (64.81)
⦁ Loire Valley, France (64.14)
⦁ Valencia, Spain (63.80)
⦁ Cannes, France (62.10
⦁ Madrid (62.01).
PLANT PLANET
Travelling can be difficult for people on a plant-based diet. To that end, Globehunters studied 70 of the planet’s most visited cities to determine which ones are best for vegans and vegetarians with the score (out of 100) based on such factors as number of vegan restaurants, animal protection index rankings, and environmental performance:
Top 10:
⦁ London (86.21)
⦁ Berlin (63.28)
⦁ Melbourne (58.33)
⦁ Sydney (54.36)
⦁ Vienna (54.21)
⦁ Paris (53.86)
⦁ Auckland (53.85)
⦁ NYC (51)
⦁ Barcelona (50.3
⦁ Madrid (50.29).
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