Want a quick snapshot of the current landscape of travel trends? Well, I didn’t think you’d be very interested in industry heavy data, figures and earnings. Don’t you want to know what new things people are doing related to travel? I thought so. Well, the travel train is not slowing down; on the contrary, even though the economy has slumped, the travel industry has barely missed a beat. Go figure. Anyway, take a look at these little facts I found. Let them give you the idea of your next great dream odyssey to go where few have gone before…! Sorry, I got a little carried away for a moment.
vintage train rides
People are warming up again with the warmth of long train journeys through wonderful landscapes. The Rhinegold Express and the Mahajaras Express are two of the most popular trains. Elegant classics include luxury dining cars, glass-domed observation cars, and even bedrooms as you make your way through quaint towns and cosmopolitan areas. Although not a sleeper and board train, the US recently earmarked $8 billion for a high-speed rail in Florida.
river cruise
River cruises are growing in popularity as more people find out about their availability. One can board a more modern ship and sail up the Rhine or the Volga. Or one can go tropical and float down the Mekong River, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. Many prefer river cruises to ocean ones.
hot destinations
Newer popular destinations include Estancia Vik, Playa Vic and Arbol Casaloft in Uruguay. Hotel Le Cordiere or StarHotel’s Savoia Excelsior Palace in the northern Italian port city of Trieste are wonderful. The city of Hangzhou, southwest of Shanghai, is an ancient city with peaceful pagodas and Buddhist temples. The area is drawing some excited visitors. The Banyan Tree recently opened 72 oceanfront sites there. Some are also opting for more serene beachfront hotels and B&Bs, avoiding the crazy or “party” crowd.
Finding the superior or the unusual
Instead of cheap trinkets or traded junk, more people are buying the unusual, the exotic, the sentimental, or things that locals value and use. Perhaps this interest has been sparked in part by the growing popularity of “Online Core Programs.” These shows promote quaint or rare products that can inspire wanderlust in viewers.
Social Media Travelers
Travel websites are growing. People flock to the Internet to book trips or get advice from travelers on forums and blogs. They can even find directions to locations when they arrive at locations in another country. Speaking of learning stuff, perhaps, TV and movies notwithstanding, reading is coming back into style. Book fairs and festivals are becoming increasingly popular. Two huge ones in very different places are in California this year and in South Asia.
SkyNannies
Gulf Air now offers babysitting services on board. So if you’re afraid of entertaining your kids for seven hours, just pay a babysitter to do it for you.
Larger showers/smaller bathtubs
Many hotels have decided that most customers do not bathe in their sometimes narrow bathtubs. So they are starting to build spacious, luxury double showers and dispensing with the idea of a bathtub.
speakeasy supper clubs
More than ever, there are exclusive dining clubs around the world where members can enjoy dining by top chefs. Another interesting fact: younger French chefs are finding a new freedom in culinary self-expression that could renew aspects of French cooking. Check it out.
VirtualTravel
Historical crypto video games like Assassin’s Creed are amazingly realistic. The creators spent millions to reproduce extremely detailed and authentic simulations of Florence and Venice, Italy, in the 15th century. Travelers who have played the game and then visited the locations are struck by the similarities between the cities and the backgrounds and landscapes of the game.
So what’s stopping you from experiencing one of the fabulous and trendy trends above? There has to be at least one that has caught your eye. After all, you are one of the trendsetters, aren’t you? That’s what I thought.