Here are some travel trends to consider in 2020

As we get ready to close the year out, we're looking ahead to what’s coming at us for 2020 in terms of travel. Travel expert Loren Christie joined us on Your Morning to chat about upcoming trends and the hottest destinations for the new year, from 'meaningful travel' to vegan-friendly hotels. Check them out below, and be sure to watch the video above for our whole chat with Loren!

MEANINGFUL TRAVEL

After a year of intense and growing awareness on the global climate crisis, people are increasingly looking for more than just a flop and drop beach vacation.  They want to consider and be aware of their personal impacts on the destinations they visit. Booking.com reports that travelers are starting to look for under-sold cities and destinations that maybe aren’t as popular in an effort to combat the negative effects of overtourism, but they’re also choosing less environmentally-harmful modes of transportationWhat's more, “adventures” like swimming with dolphins in captivity and elephant rides in Thailand are becoming increasingly frowned upon. People are skipping these type of experiences. Travelers also want to ensure their money is staying in the local community as much as possible by choosing to support local businesses - whether that's your guide, where you eat, where you stay or where you shop.

DIGITAL DETOX

Travelers increasingly want to live in the moment and experience the place they are visiting. Speed of technology, speed to deliver results in the workplace just means people are looking to travel not just as a way to relax, but to clear and open the mind by taking longer, more immersive trips that allow them to connect with nature and local people and cultures. Plus, data shows this is not just a millennial trend - it has been reported that there is an almost 10% growth in bookings for 2020 that offer an element of digital detox in them. In other words, tours that literally make you put your cell phone in a bag - places such as Mongolia, the Galapagos and Antarctic, and other locations which force disconnection are growing in popularity.

VEGAN FRIENDLY

The vegan lifestyle is seeing more and more vegan restaurants and more vegan offerings on mainstream restaurants. As more people go vegan, they’re demanding that travel providers cater to their needs. In addition to a rise in vegan-friendly restaurants, vegans want to see more hotels that are vegan-friendly, with no animal products in guestrooms — and this isn’t just limited to leather. Wool, silk and feather duvets are at risk for being discarded for kinder alternatives.

DESTINATIONS

These are the destinations that are going to be hot spots for tourism in 2020:

1. Dubai: It's receiving a lot of attention as the host of the World Expo in 2020. Opening in October, it will be a 6 month long expo on a 438 hectare site, featuring 192 countries (Canada included).
2. Faroe Islands: It's becoming the next “road less traveled” destination, with Iceland’s popularity as an uncrowded destination now causing it to become crowded, as people are looking at this “new” Nordic destination. Its first brand hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, opening in 2020, which is always a good indication of increasing popularity.
3. Egypt: The destination is blossoming again. It tends to always be a bucket list destination, but safety concerns bubble up and tend to keep tourists away. Canadian tour company G Adventures is reporting that year over year bookings to Egypt are on the rise - 74.8 per cent from 2017 - 2018, and 21.3 per cent from 2018 - 2019. Travelers are feeling more comfortable traveling there, and now is a great time to go as it's not overcrowded.
4. Canada: Canadiana will be popular this year as The Hudson’s Bay Company turns 350, Manitoba turns 150 and the Group of Seven celebrates 100 years. Celebrations around those amazing landscapes and our history will be top of mind in our national psyche and inspire travel across Canada.

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