Industry giants Expedia and Conde Nast Traveller have come together to share their predictions of what’s hot in travel for 2020.
Using travel data, five trends have been identified: immersive art experiences, off-season escapes, alternative world wonders, wellbeing and learning with locals.
‘Travel is not a one-size-fits-all experience; these trends perfectly show this. People of all ages want to experience the world in all its forms, from taking time off to recharge our minds to enjoying human connection in different cultures,’ said Mark Tavender, Director of Product and Marketing at Expedia
‘On the most part we are time poor but also becoming increasingly conscious of the growing threats to Earth, so commit more hours to researching our next trip.’
Whichever route you choose, here are some destination ideas to help inspire your next escape.
Off-season surprises
Dramatic cliffs, rolling moorlands and sparkling waters make Devon a coastal paradise, and it’s even more serene when schools are in term time.
Enjoy Ibiza like a local and swap beats for bliss by avoiding peak season and visiting in March, when days are cool but sunny.
An immersive art experience
The Taj Mahal is one of India’s greatest architectural marvels, and one of its busiest attractions. Avoid the hustle and opt instead to visit the folk-art wonder at Chandigarh’s Rock Garden. It’s the lifelong work of Nek Chand Saini, who created a miniature fantasy kingdom by interlinking waterfalls and giant swings from waste bottles, tiles and glasses, to cover over 40 acres of protected forest.
Wellness for mind and body
The practice of wellness has been gaining popularity and over 80% of global travellers now take trips where the goal is their mental wellbeing. In Romania, try the Akasha Wellness Retreat, where you can combine yoga with wine or vegan cooking with a natural mediation studio in the middle of a national park.
Learning with locals
Scratch behind the tourism screen and delve into local life on a gastronomic adventure in Croatia. Join families from the Istrian peninsula on a truffle hunt that ends with a lunch of truffle-infused delicacies and local wines.
Alternative world wonders
Conscious travellers are weighing up popular sights with sustainability and visiting lesser known attractions as an alternative.
Inserted of Stonehenge, check out Orkney Island’s Standing Stones of Stenness. This UNESCO monument is older than Stonehenge and is near Orkney’s other Neolithic curiosities, including Skara Brae, a preserved village predating Egypt’s pyramids.
A trip to Vietnam’s Halong Bay today involves navigating through hordes of tours. An alternative is a 20-minute sail from the Philippines’ Coron Town to Coron Island that recreates a similar experience with shipwreck diving, lagoons and white-sand beaches.