Travelling has definitely become far more accessible over the past ten years. Gone are the days of saving for a two-week family getaway once a year. With the rise of social media and blogging, travelling has become a full-time job. Due to this accessibility, it can sometimes be hard to understand what people mean by luxury travel. Some think spending money to fly first class or paying for a bigger suite in the hotel are what constitutes luxury. But luxury travel isn’t just about the price tag, it is about what you gain from your travels. So here is a list of luxury travel trends that you may want to take inspiration from.
Transformative Travel
For the past few years, we as a society have been learning to focus on ourselves, our wellbeing and our mental health. Well, transformative travel is just that. A big travel trend that you will see is people going away on mindfulness retreats, where they will explore their spirituality, how to connect with nature and do a lot of activities to calm and focus the mind like yoga.
These retreat-style holidays are now more popular than ever. People are constantly looking for ways to relieve stress in their lives and these escapes are often the perfect answer. People use these retreats to take the time to recalibrate and understand the ways to de-stress. Often these wellness breaks will include yoga sessions, meditation, nutritious meals and often spa treatments.
Experiential Travel
Many travellers no longer want to just visit a destination and set up camp by the beach or by the pool. Travellers now want to have experiences in the destinations. People are now able to explore the world, trying new things and also having far more authentic experiences than before. These experiences don’t necessarily have to break the bank, they can be visiting attractions away from the busy tourists, immersing yourself into the local culture, or even volunteering at wildlife reserves.
The point of experiential travel is that they are not like the traditional activities that often attract tourists. These kinds of travel experiences are unique and are designed solely for the traveller. You can indulge yourself in experiences that you would not get at home, trying authentic cuisine and understanding the culture that you are surrounding yourself with.
Unspoiled Destinations
Over the years many different off the beaten track destinations are now run amok with travellers due to the rise in blogging and Instagram. Thailand beaches are now filled with people travelling throughout South East Asia, the Dominican Republic is filled with hotel chains and this is happening all around the world. So now, travellers are looking for the destinations that the tourists don’t know about yet. Heading to the places where you won’t have to queue to see the extraordinary views or jump off the waterfalls. By visiting the places that are less visited by others, it makes the destinations feel more exclusive.
Although there are places in the world that are tourist hives, like Thailand, Bali and Greece, you can still find untarnished hidden gems that are just waiting to be explored. You can enjoy quiet beaches, tranquil waterfalls and protected green spaces that are waiting to be discovered.
Culinary Adventures
The world is full of different flavours and smells that are just waiting to be tried. And now many travellers are taking their trips to focus on the different cuisines around the world. Now instead of just enjoying the delights of a country from the comfort of a restaurant, more travellers now wish to replicate the flavours at home. These types of trips allow holidaymakers to try new skills by taking cooking classes with local chefs, sometimes working with other family members to make this experience that much more enjoyable.
Visit Thailand and learn how to make authentic street food delicacies, head to India and learn all about the spices that create the colourful flavours of the country. During these trips, you can learn how to balance flavours, understand the different tasting sensations and create exquisite food in the comfort of your own home.
Go Green
Climate change has been a large topic around the world in recent years. From environmental strikes, eye-opening documentaries and new governmental policies have taken centre stage. This has made travellers try and find more sustainable ways of travelling around the world, trying to be more conscious of our environmental impact. Now, this is often easier said than done due to the fact for many flying can sometimes be the only option. But there are many ways that we can be conscious of our ecological footprint when travelling. If your trip involves several different destinations, take the time to see if using train or bus routes are an option instead of flying. When booking where you plan on staying, look at places that offer eco-friendly options. These kinds of options are now available more than ever and have become an upscale travel trend.