Award Winning Food, Drink & Travel Magazine

TheTaste.ie
TravelTrendsFeature
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on linkedin

Planning a Holiday in 2018? Here Are The Travel Trends You Need to Know About

Are you planning on jetting off into the sunset in 2018? Or maybe you want to sleep in an igloo beneath the Northern Lights? Whatever your travel plans for 2018, there are some key trends you should keep on your radar when booking your next getaway.

From sustainable travel and immersive local experiences to tracking down filming locations for your favourite movies and TV shows, 2018 is set to be a rather interesting year for the tourism industry.

UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION

While there’s been a gradual emergence of unique accommodation over the past year or so, 2018 is the year where it will really take centre stage. From house boats to tree houses and rustic barns, travellers are seeking unique and immersive experiences on their holiday, and that includes where they are resting their head at night.

In Airbnb’s 2018 travel trends report, they revealed that bookings for nature lodges are up 700% and bookings for RV’s are up 133%. HomeAway’s 2018 report added to this, stating that 2018 is all about unconventional accommodation, with lodges, yurts and barns becoming more popular.

So whether it’s an igloo in Norway, a private castle all to yourself or glamping under the stars in the desert, there’s a trendy accommodation out there with your name on it.

BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS

Life is too short to wait until you’re 40, 60 or older to finally tick off places on that bucket list. 2018 is going to be the year for visiting one of those once-in-a-lifetime destinations. According to a booking.com survey at the end of 2017, more and more travellers are aiming to have an incredible and unique travel experience in 2018.

Visiting these exotic destinations requires a bit more time than a simple European city break. With this in mind, travellers will be embarking on these trips for 2 weeks or more. But don’t worry, week-long and 3-5 day trips are still popular too.

Emirates also recently revealed that newlyweds are seeking out these far-flung destinations for their honeymoon, with Cambodia and Vietnam proving to be quite popular. There are particular surges in the cities of Hanoi (212 per cent) and Da Nang (255 per cent).

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

Last year, we examined the rise in overtourism which is a major problem for the travel and tourism industry. 2017 was the world tourism organisation’s year of sustainability, with the key message being to “Travel. Enjoy. Respect.” Tourists seem to be understanding the importance of sustainable travel with a number of off the beaten track destinations rising in popularity.

Due to overtourism, travellers are increasingly seeking out authentic local experiences in lesser known destinations. Instead of adding to the masses in Croatia, Greece and China, many will likely head to destinations like Cyprus, Moldova and the Middle East.

Wherever you visit, make sure the key message of sustainable travel follows you. To read more about overtourism and the need for sustainable travel, read our feature here.

POP CULTURE PILGRIMAGES

Coastal Drives

Pop Culture Pilgrimages have been a growing trend over the past number of years. We’ve seen it in Ireland with Game of Thrones and Star Wars, and you can’t visit Croatia without feeling like you’re strolling through the streets of King’s Landing.

Fans of popular movies and TV shows are flocking to the destinations where their favourite alternate realities are set or filmed. Not just the fantasy shows either as fans of The Crown and Sherlock are sure to add London to their must-visit list.

So, where is your ideal pop culture pilgrimage?

GUIDED HOLIDAYS

Guided holidays are making a comeback, despite people tending to lean towards DIY trips in recent years. Package holidays are particularly popular and useful for adventures to far off places like India and China, due to the difficulty of planning every detail of these by ourselves.

With a guided trip, you can travel with ease to one of your bucket list destinations and relax with the knowledge that you are safe and well taken care of.

Itineraries for these escorted trips, which are made all the more appealing due to the knowledgable guides, are also quite impressive and cover a great deal of the local culture as well as big name attractions.

WELLNESS AND RELAXATION

The world is a noisy place, especially with our constant need to be on our phones. Sometimes we just need to switch off, which brings me to the growing need for wellness holidays.

From spa trips, isolated beach resorts, sugar and full body detoxes, activity based trips and meditative forest walks. The main draw is the desire to switch off from the day-to-day stresses of life.

Imagine hiking through the mountains with only the sound of real birds rather than the tweeting of your phone. The goal for 2018 holidays is to escape and relax.Escape and relax.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Travel Trends

Travellers are constantly seeking out real experiences on their travels, which is why there’s been a rise in authentic and immersive holidays.

From tours through traditional food markets to dining on street food or a home cooked meal with local residents. According to the Virtuso Luxe Report, 2018 is about being more of a traveller than a tourist and finding experiences that aren’t just in a guidebook or brochure.

Those who love wandering local neighbourhoods, trying out the language and venturing wherever the path may lead them are going to be well in vogue this year.

FEATURE BY SARAH GLASCOTT

Sarah has always had a great love of travel, food and photography. Following her journalism degree at DCU, she developed a passion for travel writing while living in Spain.

Sarah loves exploring new places and sampling the local cuisine. Working with TheTaste.ie combines her love of food and travel.

A big people person, especially when it comes to hearing other people’s stories, Sarah loves interviewing chefs, food producers and more.

Twitter Instagram

 

MORE TRAVEL FEATURES
Recently Added

 Receive regular updates, special offers, reviews, competitions and much more..