There’s no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic put a complete halt on global travel, and the travel and tourism industry is yet to get out of the recession that it drowned in for 2 years. It started with a few countries shutting down international flights from select routes, and went on to full-fledged lockdowns where travel within the same city was restricted too.
And while most of us have started to get accustomed to the “new normal” i.e., masks, sanitizers, and whatnot, the tourism industry is still trying to make sense of the countless different norms around travel.
For starters, vaccines are now mandatory at most tourist destinations, with many requiring official government-issued vaccination certificates. Many countries don’t even let you cross the border without having a vaccination certificate and a mandatory Covid-19 test.
But with the gradual opening of businesses and the pent-up demand for exploring, a few new trends have sprouted all across the world.
A few of them are temporary, but many more conscientious ones are here to stay.
1: Bleisure Is Going To Be Big
Bleisure simply stands for clubbing business travels with leisure. This includes extending work-related travels to include a mini vacation. Although this concept has been there for around a decade, it’s gotten quite the push ever since the pandemic began. Since most people have missed out on two good years of traveling, they are now using every opportunity to tick things off their travel goals.
And what’s better than business travels? The company pays for your tickets, and all you have to do is pay for the extended stay—we see why it’s becoming a trend.
2: Workations
As per Buffer’s 2021 survey, 97.6 percent of people prefer to work remotely for the rest of their lives. And 30 percent of them prefer a job that offers flexibility to work from any location. And with the growing gig/freelance culture, Workations is a trend that is here to stay.
So, save up those leaves for other things—you can finally work and vacay from anywhere you want.
3: Digital Detoxes
Vacations have long been a way for people to escape the mundane everyday life for something fresh; something different. People have flocked to sunny beaches and windy hills just to get out of the city’s bustle and enjoy some time around nature.
But with lockdowns everywhere, travelers were stuck at homes staring at screens and browsing through social media. This rising exposure to digital media has pushed many people to a point where vacations are an escape from all things digital—also called digital detox.
Travelers prefer to take short vacations to remote locations like beaches and mountains where they can spend a few days without having to worry about emails, Netflix, or social media, and enjoy nature.
4: No more excuses for epic trips
5: Wellness first
Travelers are spending more on spas and wellness retreats, swapping classic vacations with them. The pandemic-induced excessive stress and work have pushed many people to the breaking point, creating a need for alternate vacations to truly unwind.
Travelers are pickier with whom they interact during their travels and/or the businesses they work on. This allows local businesses to benefit from loyal customers who come back to them with the aim to contribute to sustainability.