The Roaring Twenties are almost upon us! Alongside the inevitable resurgence of flapper dresses and headbands comes a whole host of shiny new travel trends. The past few years have seen more authentic forms of travel rise, with younger generations eager to learn about and embrace local cultures. Also, green travel has surged in popularity - and it hasn’t peaked yet. We think next year, reducing the negative impact of travel on the planet will be a biggie - no surprises there.
We’re also predicting growth in slow travel, in line with the overall authentic travel trend, and in specialised tours. Ancestry travel is also going to be huge, judging by the millions of people taking home DNA tests. Meanwhile - and these are words we never thought we’d say - millennials are finally going to get on board with cruises.
Before booking your travel for the year, see if any of the Flexicover Team's 2020 travel trends take your fancy.
Carbon-neutral travel goes mainstream
Ethical travel was huge in 2019, and this trend is only going to snowball in 2020, as more budget travellers attempt to offset the carbon emissions. How does it work? After calculating the number of miles on their route, travellers can pay a fee into a voluntary scheme that funds environmental projects around the world. This helps to neutralise the negative impact of flying on the environment. With ethical heroes like Greta Thunberg promoting the cause, people may also choose modes of transport with lower carbon emissions, like trains or buses. While environmentally-conscious travellers have been attempting to cut or offset their carbon emissions for years, the rest of the world is now catching up. Here’s to a clean, green 2020!
We’ll get to dig deeper with slow travel
We love action-packed holidays as much as the next traveller, but in 2020 we’ll all be taking it slow. Indeed, ABTA’s Travel Trends 2020 report named slow travel as one of the year’s five key trends. While travellers with limited annual leave have often tried to pack experiences and attractions into two weeks, people are now focusing on one destination. Slow travel allows you to experience destinations on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of the cultures. Keeping your itinerary less packed also takes the pressure off, ensuring your time away is the relaxing break it’s meant to be - not a mad dash through the highlights of several countries. Spending more time in one destination can also reduce the carbon footprint of your trip. Win-win.
Specialised tours will boom
Tours have never gone out of fashion - they’ve just evolved. Commonly used by single travellers and those looking to experience destinations that are difficult to navigate alone, tours have become more specialised over the past few years. Travel companies are developing flexi-touring options, for those who want to do some travel alone, as well as self-guided tours, and personalised escorted touring. There are also more options catering to different demographics. Intrepid Travel’s women-only tours have become one of the brand’s fastest-selling product ranges, for example - no doubt due to the rise in popularity of solo female travel.
People will uncover their roots with ancestry travel
According to a report in MIT Technology Review, by the start of 2019 some 26 million people had taken an ancestry DNA test at home. Airbnb has now partnered with DNA lab 23andMe in order to help the millions interested in their ancestry to go in search of their roots. Brits will no doubt be inspired by the recent documentary Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey, where the TV presenters travelled to the US and Ireland to find out more about their family history. While we all love a sunshine break, imagine meeting long-lost relatives, or immersing yourself in a colourful culture you never knew you had a connection to. Thanks to the boom in DNA home testing kits, this potentially life-changing type of travel will be huge in 2020 and beyond.
Millennials will get on board with cruises
Cruises have long been seen as the domain of middle-aged and older people, while younger generations have gravitated towards self-determined travel in search of authentic experiences. In 2020 Richard Branson will try to change the younger generations’ aversion to cruising - and we think he might be onto something. The shiny new Virgin Voyages will take to the waves in 2020, and the Scarlet Lady, its maiden vessel, has been designed with millennials and Gen Z in mind. Think Tom Dixon-designed interiors, a Mark Ronson-curated vinyl record store, and own-brand craft beer. There’s also a tattoo parlour, an open-air gym, and plenty of vegan options served in all-inclusive restaurants. What more could a millennial want?
Wherever you plan on heading to over the coming months it’s good to know that Flexicover Travel Insurance is committed to providing you with the highest level of protection to ensure you are safe and secure 24 hours a day when away.
Comments