Trends for Travel in 2018
Now that the first couple of months of the year are almost over we can review all the predictions for travel in 2018 and see which guesses are most mentioned and therefore likely to be true! We have ploughed through the internet to see what the experts believe will be the travel habits for 2018.
Cross-generational travel
Airbnb is predicting that children, parents and their grandparents are more likely to take a trip this year, than ever before. Granted we are living longer, according to the Office of National Statistics, the population in the UK is getting older with 18% aged 65 and over and 2.4% aged 85 and over. Millennials and Generation Z are also likely to take a trip with their parents.
Both the Huffington Post and Lonely Planet have prophesied that cross-generational travel will be huge in 2018. Who would not want to spend some quality time with older and newer generations? Relationships are strengthened over shared likes and dislikes, people bond in new experiences and, most of all, memories are made.
Rail and sail holidays
AOL first mentioned these types of holidays back in November. Combining the best of a cruise and train journey, these holidays offer truly spectacular experiences. Although a quick Google search for rail and sail will probably show you ferries and trains, there can be a luxury element to such trips. Cruise passengers looking to add an extra special something to their voyage can reach new horizons with so-called rail-sail packages that bring another dimension to cruise holidays. Instead of simply transporting travellers from A to B, the train journey becomes a focal point of the holiday, and you can take your pick from the surprising range of rail rides that can be twinned with cruises to stunning effect.
Experiences
The experience economy is booming – Barclaycard’s research shows that whilst spending in departments stores is declining, people are increasing their spending on pubs, clubs, theatres and restaurants. It makes perfect sense that this trend is being transferred to the travel industry.
Today’s travellers use experiences to help shape their identity. They create life-long memories and build a sense of community with their peers. Travel today is less about the mass movement of tourists to the same handful of familiar destinations. Instead, time-pressured travellers seek bespoke experiences. They aim to deepen their understanding of the world.
More than just a holiday
The reasons to travel are becoming increasingly multi-layered, adding more complex reasons for specific trips. On top of the basic making most of leisure time, consumers are looking to combine more than one objective for their trip.
Most obvious is medical tourism. Defined as where people who live in one country travel to another country to receive medical, dental and surgical care while at the same time receiving equal to or greater care than they would have in their own country. A study published by VISA and Oxford Economics reveals medical tourism as a burgeoning industry with a value of over $439 billion USD.
People also want to add an ethical dimension to their holiday, so might choose to volunteer for all or some of their trip. If you are looking to your volunteering and your travel, then the possibilities are endless. You can teach, do conservation work, work on a building project, learn a new language or be part of a cultural exchanges. Have a look at the wide range of options with this award winning organisation.
Whatever your reason for travelling from an airport, at I Love meet and greet we want to get you started on your trip in the best way possible. We are always interested to know why and where people go abroad, so next time we see on the terminal forecourt, let us know.
By Sarah Anglim at 22 Feb 2018