2020 Travel Trends

Around the world (starting) in 40 days. Why 40 days? Well believe it or not, we are currently 40 days away from the year 2020!!

So you know how you have that bucket list (even if you don’t call it that)? Well most people have some kind of travel on their bucket list. We bet you do too! Some people want to travel to a specific country (for many it’s Italy), or there’s a specific mode of travel to get you there (think river cruise), or their trip is all about who they are traveling with (that long overdue girls trip or that overseas honeymoon that was never taken for example.) The reasons for the items on your travel (bucket) list could go on and on. Many of the places to travel to will be explored in a later blog. For now let’s find out about the Top 5 Travel Trends for 2020.

Top 5 Travel Trends for 2020

1. Non-touristy/Authentic Experiences

Some people have already traveled extensively and now want to look at areas that are less touristy. This could be for the obvious reasons like fewer crowds or to stay away from expensive “tourist traps”. But a growing reason is that more and more travelers are looking for authentic experiences. They want to see the world and see the different cultures up close. Many people are looking to “give back” on their vacations by volunteering in the area they are visiting. Visiting areas that have suffered from economic hardships or natural disasters is another great way to give back. The Dominican Republic or The Bahamas are two great recent examples of this.

Click on this link to read about journeying to the Dominican Republic and why it’s such a great destination.

2. Culinary Vacations

A lot of people want to combine traveling with eating and drinking. Many are looking to experience the Michelin-starred restaurants that they follow on Instagram. They are also looking to “get dirty” and work on a farm or make their own pasta or hunt for truffles. There are so many experiences to choose from all over the world and so many are anxious to jump in. There are cooking classes for everything, in fact many of them cater to special diets such as vegetarian or even gluten free.

Read about cooking in Italy (even with a special diet) by clicking here.

3. Group Travel

Group vacations are of huge interest right now. Group travel can mean so many different things to so many people. It can mean traveling solo but with a group of like-minded strangers (often on an adventure trip), it could mean a group of women traveling together for a “girls trip” or it could be a “buddymoon” (think of it as a bunch of couples traveling to a resort together oftentimes for a destination wedding). It could also mean a multi-generational family vacation (maybe to discover their ancestry), a book or gardening club, or a local celebrity with their followers. Whatever the make-up of your group is, we can take the hassle of planning for multiple people so you don’t have to!

Here are ideas on where to go with your group (opens on my sister site - Eat Drink Vacations)

4. Adventurous Destinations

While a lot of people have “travel” on their bucket lists, some also have specific adventures or sports on their lists as well. There is a growing desire to “seize the day” and find adventure all over the world. Some of the growing trends of places to visit purely for adventure are Antarctica, Alaska, Galapagos, South Africa, and Iceland. The sky is the limit on the adventures that can be found worldwide.

Read more about a different way to see Alaska.

5. Major Milestone Trips

Milestone trips are probably one of the most popular reasons why people travel. In the past it has meant traveling for the big birthdays, or for anniversaries, or upon retirement. These days many travelers are realizing that they don’t necessarily want to wait for these milestones so they are planning their trips “just because”. Add in the fact that it is almost 2020 and it is making people want to check those travel plans off of their lists sooner rather than later.

Here’s a popular way to celebrate a milestone event - river cruising!

So you know where you want to travel to. And you have your own reasons why you want to travel. No matter what those places and reasons are, don’t let your hindsight be 20/20. You have the foresight now to decide what epic travel plans you will make for 2020 and beyond. Let’s talk about your travel dreams for the new decade to make them a reality.