Travel Talk: With Arena

Trend spotting 10 / What’s new 2021

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SeychelleS evereSt BaSe camP Santorini, greece

Space and family

Bucket list ambitions are being coupled with a desire for space in Intrepid’s forward bookings, with Vietnam, Nepal and Peru best-sellers and polar trips, including its new Antarctica cruises, drawing interest.

“We’re seeing strong demand for all types of wilderness travel as people want to spend more time outdoors, from the Galapagos to Costa Rica,” explains Bencheikh.

In a similar vein, PATA’s 2021 Travel Patterns Report notes increasing demand for off-grid hotels and community-based experiences in Asia Pacific, plus ‘slow travel’ immersive holidays in one location.

Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) UK & Ireland, Chris Crampton, said: “Our tour operator members have reported huge amounts of excitement from clients that now have the confidence to rebook their 2020 travel plans for 2021. Chic Locations’ bookings in November were really strong, their best month since April, largely dominated by the Maldives. Mid-haul destinations such as Oman and Dubai are proving favourable as the flight time is manageable and they offer relaxing beach holidays with a mix of culture and adventure. There is pent-up demand for Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bali, all excellent value-for-money holidays, and villa holidays.”

Oliver’s Travels is not expecting a sudden shift from last year’s habits, with the UK and France still driving bookings.

“I think seclusion will continue to be a key trend, with people looking for places they can disconnect and relax in privacy away from as many other people as possible,” says Bell. “For many, this will mean staying local and visiting places that are easily accessible by car.”

Clients are also keen to make up for lost family time. A quarter of Intrepid’s top 25 itineraries booked during the second half of 2020 were for family-themed tours (notably in Africa and Asia) compared to 12% during the same period in 2019. Bencheikh adds: “We’re also seeing appetite for multigenerational or extended family groups as families want to reunite after time apart.”

SealS in antarctica Phuket, thailand

Big events in 20121

The summer Olympics in Japan tops the list of major events still hoping to run but by mid-January hopes were fading.

Meanwhile, Greece hopes to celebrate its bicentenary of independence with (Covidpermitting) outdoor events this summer. In France fingers are firmly crossed for the bi-annual Semaine du Golfe regatta in Brittany and the Le Mans classic car race. In December, a rare total eclipse should be visible from Antarctica and South Africa.

While this year is still something of a guessing game, some themes are more certain. With restrictions remaining, staycations and European corridor hops (when possible) will dominate. Families will be looking to reconnect, so expect multigenerational holidays later in the year. And financially unscathed clients will be looking at bucket list destinations and add-ons.•