In a press conference at the recent Virtuoso Travel Week (VTW), the organization shared some of the travel trends its advisors are currently seeing, and at the top of the list was an increased interest in adventure travel. With its combination of excitement, wide-open natural locations and intense activity, an adventure trip is pretty much the exact opposite of the confinement we have all experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, I’m not at all surprised that more travelers are booking these vacations. In our most recent cover story, we shared some of the best domestic destinations where your clients can find a range of experiences to satisfy this desire.
According to research presented at VTW, an increased interest in sustainability is another hot trend, and one that goes hand in hand with adventure travel. A significant majority of Virtuoso advisors (82%) report that their clients are looking to travel more responsibly in the future, and 78% believe it’s somewhat to very important to choose travel companies that have strong policies in this regard. In addition, 70% say traveling sustainably enhances the vacation experience. These numbers suggest that the travel industry has finally come to the point where a responsible approach is a necessary consideration — a must-have versus a nice-to-have — when planning a trip.
Post-pandemic, it will be interesting to see how companies adapt to the changing preferences of their customers, and whether the “new normal” will be a bit more conscious of the strain travel puts on the environment.
