Everyone knows that the travel industry has been dealt a massive blow in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and many travelers are now wondering what 2021 will bring. What will travel look like in the year to come? Well, here is what five industry insiders have to say about travel, and what’s to come…
Travelers want bigger rooms at hotels…
Guests are looking for bigger rooms because they’re looking to spend more time in them. For example, rather than eating in a restaurant, more travelers are looking to eat takeout or room service in their hotel rooms. Nadim Barrage, the Hotel Manager at the Conrad Fort Lauderdale says, “During these past few months, we have seen an increased demand for larger accommodations, especially bookings for our oceanfront suites and residences that have larger terraces with an outside sitting areas.”
Travelers want to support local businesses and minority-run businesses…
The pandemic will breed a new generation of travelers with an interest in helping communities they visit, rather than hurt it. Mary Quinn Ramer, President of VisitLEX says, “After a challenging year that forced so many small businesses to shut down permanently, we anticipate 2021 will bring a new wave of conscious travelers who are adamant about supporting the local businesses that are the heart and soul of the destination. We also expect an increased interest in experiences that celebrate the BIPOC community.In Lexington, we’re excited because visitors will finally be able to enjoy tours and tastings at the new Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co., one of Kentucky’s first African American-owned distilleries.”
Camping is here to stay…
Not only was the camping and RVing industry spared from the pandemic bust, but they actually had a boom in popularity. Dan Yates, Founder of Pitchup.com says the trend is continuing to grow, and will well into 2021. “Since lockdown, outdoor travel has become the go-to vacation and I expect its popularity to continue to grow in the new year. Camping has been the only type of travel accommodation able to expand almost overnight to meet this year’s unprecedented domestic demand, with hundreds of farms and fairgrounds setting up camping capabilities. Due to the pandemic, there are now a huge number of camping converts around the world who will continue to book outdoor accommodation in the future. For instance, looking ahead to 2021, advance bookings for next year on Pitchup.com are already up more than 284% from bookings for 2020 by the same point last year.”
Road trips are also going to be popular ways to get around…
With everyone on edge about the safety of air travel, roadtripping to nearby destinations was also a popular option in 2020, and it’s expected to be big in 2021 as well. Bob Jameson, the CEO of Visit Fort Worth, said, “80% of vacations taken by Americans through the rest of 2020 will be road trips. As we’ve been seeing this trend come to life in Fort Worth, hosting more local visitors than ever before.”
Workcations are the new vacations…
Lockdown proved that you can work from pretty much anywhere, and that’s why workcations became so popular. Many travelers embarked on longer trips and worked from whatever destination they were at. In fact, many hotels have even put together workcation deals. Tom Barber, the co-founder of Original Travel says, ““With many people’s work/life balance becoming more blurred during lockdown and technology proving that teams, no matter how big or small, really can work from anywhere, we are seeing an emerging trend from clients who wish to pack up their home office and take a ‘workcation’.”
