All Change

Just as our lives have had to adapt to the modern world, so have our travel priorities t seems fitting that I write this essay on a plane coming back from New England (a region of the US once settled by English Puritans), sipping a Bombay Sapphire and tonic. I always find that having my head in the clouds gives me a different perspective. As we fly forth into a new post-Elizabethan era, it’s interesting to contemplate the journeys British travellers have ahead of them. Over the past 100 years or so, we have transitioned from tourists to experientialists and, more broadly, from consumers to connoisseurs.

In the face of urgent challenges such as climate change, there is hope that the pioneering spirit of British people can drive new low impact ways to explore our planet, but high impact from a societal point of view. During the pandemic, many people were forced to re-evaluate their life’s priorities, coming to the conclusion that they have not been spending enough time with loved ones, that they had become disconnected from themselves and they were putting too much emphasis on work. For a time, a humble holiday was a freedom not granted to us, and when it was returned we decided that this precious time should be used more wisely.

As our focus shifts from social media to TV and movies as a source of inspiration for our trips, a rising number of innovative travel companies will be crafting limelight itineraries that transport us into living narratives. This new form of escapism is being driven by elite British adventure travel companies such as Black Tomato, which recently unveiled a collection of ‘007’ excursions across Europe that take fans in the footsteps of James Bond, supported by a cast of stunt doubles, actors and special-effects supervisors from films including Octopussy and Spectre. One of its missions is set in London, and begins with a high-speed chase down the River Thames in an original Superhawk 34 boat from The World is Not Enough, with a camera-mounted drone recording the entire pursuit.

Opposite ◄ A Whitehall rooftop scene from Skyfall and speedboat chase from The World is Not Enough, both experiences available with Black Tomato

Although many responsible travellers will be content with flying less and staying longer, jet-setting is promised to become less polluting. British private charter broker Victor has this year pushed forward with a partnership with Neste to encourage passengers to pay for Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from used cooking oil rather than carbon-intensive ‘black gold’. The route to the decarbonisation of aviation is also being navigated by bespoke travel company Pelorus, which has joined forces with forthcoming OceanSky Cruises to take Carolean-era explorers to the North Pole aboard emissionfree, helium-filled airships. This will be an exciting reincarnation of a form of transport that first took off all the way back in the early 1900s.

Nostalgia and a yearning for the golden age of travel will be one of the defining trends of the next decade. This will manifest in numerous reimagined ways – from ethical safaris with Abercrombie & Kent to the sumptuous sleeper Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond train. As Generation Z comes of age and Millennials enter their forties, a whole new wave of nomadic luxurians will enter the world stage, using time abroad to build new businesses from remote locations, forge richer relationships and recharge their souls. In the future, travel will become a force for both personal and planetary transformation, powered by a desire to be the best that we can be. Just as we always have.

Above ▲

North Pole sightseeing with OceanSky Cruises and Pelorus

Top, left ▲ n an uncertain world, and an uncertain Britain, there is one nugget of knowledge that I know to be true: artists guide the way. Art is a bellwether for where society is in this very moment, but even more crucially where we are headed. Art illuminates the path ahead, offering respite from daily struggles while providing much-needed space to reflect and imagine new strategies for breaking free of societal norms; a reminder to dream and to activate our imaginations. I believe art can help improve people’s lives both as a quiet, personal connection but also as a wider, visceral experiential act – a vehicle to wake people up, making education and learning more relatable. A progressive liberation.

Piaggio Avanti EVO which is one of the most fuel-efficient jets on the market. Private charter broker Victor encourages its customers to fly using Sustainable Aviation Fuel through its partnership with Neste.

It cannot be understated how necessary art and artists are for our survival. For more than 60 years, the UK has been a global leader in terms of creativity. Singular voices and talents across fashion, music, design and, perhaps most significantly, contemporary art have reached international commercial and critical acclaim. As we enter this new post-Elizabethan age, my advice to all creative industries is simple. Listen to artists. Support the creation of new art. In the wise words of Tracey Emin, “Where artists go, industry follows”, and at a time when education and support for the arts is consistently under threat, Emin has gone the extra mile, personally investing her time and money into the future of other artists by opening a free art school (Tracey Emin Artist Residency) and artists’ studio complex (TKE Studios) in her hometown of Margate, Kent. Emin knows from personal experience the sacrifices one must make to dedicate your life to creating art, but also the immeasurable power that art possesses to connect and present vital new ideas on a global stage. Art like no other medium can communicate as a universal language that transcends borders.