It’s not only a new year, but a new decade. We have been in the travel business for over 31 years, and have see travelers needs and wants evolve over time. From the boom in the cruise industry, to a change from the popular escorted tours to more FIT and custom trips, we have seen major changes in the travel industry over the years. Our experience, along with the booking trends we are seeing for 2020 and 2021, are leading us to make some travel predictions for the new year.
Travel Trends and Predictions for 2020
- Cruises will continue to grow in popularity, particularly with the millennials. There are 8 new mega ships arriving in 2020 with plenty more on order for the coming years. Royal Caribbean Cruises & NCL cruises have already announced new ships through 2025. We have a detailed blog post new cruise ships 2020 & 2021 but perhaps what will bring about the most significant increase in cruising, are the cruise lines targeting millennials. Two new cruise lines, Virgin Voyages cruises & the Ritz-Carlton Yacht collection promising confident they will appeal to new cruisers, and a younger market. Virgin Voyages Cruises 2020 is designed to evoke a sleek luxurious yacht that includes 78 RockStar Suites, 15 Mega RockStar Suites dubbed as “massive, fab, posh & gorgeous.” All are located on Deck 15, just below Richard’s Rooftop, a Branson-inspired top-deck cocktail lounge, exclusively accessible to RockStar Suite guests. The beach club at Bimini is an exclusive day resort that will remind travelers of a day in Ibiza or St. Tropez offering a variety of health & wellness options such as yoga & meditation, water sports, white sand beaches & as the day progresses, DJ-led pool parties, ending with a night by a beach bonfire. There are more than 20 eateries to choose from. Varied entertainment options are also a priority. Branson hopes that this update to the conventional cruise will resonate among a new generation of cruisers.
- Travelers are more environmentally conscious and are supporting companies that have sustainable travel practices. From volunteer vacations, to booking trips that involve using local companies to help improve the economy of the regions visited, travelers are looking to ensure they are making a positive impact whenever possible. Train travel is increasing in popularity to travel longer distances & bikes to explore towns & cities.
- Plastics will no longer be used on ships or hotels. Major hotel chains & cruise lines have already started to phase out single use bath amenities. Marriott, IHG & Hyatt have all committed to completely eliminating small bottles of bath gel, shampoo & condition by 2021, although it will begin sooner in certain areas. Some cruise lines have already changed over to dispensers, but keep in mind that it is typically a shampoo/body wash combo product, so you may want to consider starting to pack your own favorite products in reusable TSA approved containers. Read more about Ways to Reduce the Use of Plastic When Traveling.
- Paper documents will be a thing of the past. Most companies already did away with paper documents unless consumers request them. Initially companies such as Trafalgar tours offered to plant a tree each time a client forgoes paper documentation. Globus Journeys donates to Ocean Cleanup. Cruise lines all now encourage guests to log into their Apps to complete the boarding pass vs. printing documents. On these apps you can also confirm dining reservations, shore excursions and more. We feel that in the near future, travel companies will implement a charge for those guests still wanting things mailed to them in order to discourage it altogether.
- Family travel is booming. Grandparents are sharing their love of travel with their children and grandchildren like never before. Family reunion cruises, all inclusive resorts & even family river cruises & escorted tours with companies such as Tauck Bridges Family Tours & Adventure by Disney have seen an increase in demand.
As to the top destinations, here is what we see in order of traffic on our website for land travel:
Italy Tours
Europe Tours (panoramic trips visiting several countries)
United States Trips (National Parks tours, Fall Foliage tours & Hawaii tours specifically)
France Tours
Canada Tours (Canadian Rockies)
Iceland Tours
For cruises, although Caribbean is popular year round, we see an increase in European river cruises, Alaska Cruises, Hawaii Cruises & South America cruises.
