the (near)future of travel

Shall we get straight to the point?!
​
1.More Voluntourism. Combining the joys of a vacation with the deep fulfillment that one derives out of being a part of something bigger than oneself, of giving back to the community, connecting with people with shared values, volunteering as a the way to spend one’s vacation is definitely a trend I would put my money on. And unlike the generations before them, the millennials today aren’t confined by geographical or racial limitations – volunteering in places that might never have been before, in the service of a community they don’t necessarily have ties in, but a cause they can identify with and grow with.  
2. More Silver. The senior citizens – the 65+ group. With more time at hand, more disposable income, healthier than their predecessors & more mobility than them, the rates of senior travel has significantly risen, increasing the demand for suitable & accessible tourist destinations, services and facilities. Seniors can even rent their medical equipment, including mobility equipment, from companies to make traveling more comfortable and enjoyable.  Power chairs, wheel chairs, three and four-wheel walkers, electric foldable  scooters and walkers help seniors enjoy travel with confidence. 
3.Solo Surge.Solo travel is a trend that will continue the upward climb. There are thousands of 'solo travel women'  boards and Insta-inspo galore – check out the thousands of awesome #viajosola (“I travel solo”) posts.   Check out https://weheartliving.com/featured/the-rise-of-solo-travel-in-2017/for some great places to enjoy solo travel.  
4. All types of Family. A related trend to this would also be the rise of the travel for the modern family types – single parents, same sex couples. The travel industry is quickly catching up. Virgin Holidays launched a new price program for single parents. Intrepid Travel, which has seen a 16% growth in family bookings, has launched many new family tours in 2018. These tours do not charge more for parents traveling without a spouse. Gone are the days of exclusively two-parent travel offerings – 2018 is the year for all types of families
5. Wellness Tourism. Health and well ness seeking travel is at an all-time high, with cycling tours, organic eating tours, yoga retreats, energy healing, walking, digital detox tours , healthy lifestyle – and everything to do with health & wellness seeing an exponential burst in interest.   
6. Up skilling @ Vacation Happiness doesn’t come from lounging around in a beach (maybe it does for some;)) or buying a new outfit (maybe for that evening & that too, depending on the number of likes it gets). More and more people are coming to the realizing that authentic happiness is a byproduct of deeply engaging in & expressing your strengths and are actively designing their vacation experiences to upskill and find better canvasses to express their strengths    
​7. Adventure will be about Experiences & Curated Quirks. Adventure is not just about adventure sports or adrenaline pumping activities. Living for a week with a tribe with who you share nothing much – no common language, rituals , routines, ethnicity, geography – immersion in a new culture; or cooking with a Michelin star chef ; locally sourced and produced handmade handicraft focused shopping tours, these are all the types of experiences that people are chasing after. A hotel designed by the incognito & world famous graffiti artist Banksky? (It’s real!), a trip to watch the peregrine falcon , a travel that follows the musical journey of  famous artist – these and more will be the future and something to be catered to.  
​
In the Travel & Tourism industry, as in others, what will differentiate the great from the good, is their ability to design & deliver experiences that truly move people, that are a sliver of people’s authentic, ideal and idealized life - an ask much more than providing experiences that are just instagrammable.