Top 5 Travel Trends for 2021

2021 is set to be one of tourism’s most significant year to date. The world is still slowly recovering from COVID-19 and without a clear idea when borders are going to reopen, it’s hard to make any travel plans just yet.

Each year though, trends come and go and this one will be no different. One thing is clear, we won’t be able to travel as freely as before and our travel habits will see a huge change. 2020 has brought innovation and made us adapt to a new way of travelling, and 2021 will continue on the same route. Let’s have a look at the top five travel trends for this year.

Travelling in 2021 at a Glance

The first question we need to answer of course is, are we going to be able to travel at all in 2021? The answer is yes but not in the way we’ve been used to until now. Although vaccinations have already started worldwide, it’ll be at least another year until the majority of people have been vaccinated.

What this means is that we’ll have another year of exploring local destinations and neighbouring countries. Going overseas could become possible towards the end of the year with Thailand already offering a new type of tourist visa.

When you do need to travel longer, lifestyle flights are a new trend that will definitely make your experience much better. Certain airlines are offering guests more custom luxury options to enjoy during their longer flights. Lufthansa, for example, has begun trialling 'sleeper rows' in Economy class so that passengers can be more comfortable on their flights. Other airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways have also introduced accomodating services for their custmoers. There have been new “social spaces” that offer areas for communal dining, yoga and bars. Other airlines have developed bunk bed rest zones and kids play areas, as well as comfortable pods for a full relaxation during your flight.

Family holidays are going to be on the rise as well in 2021. After spending time away from our loved ones, reconnecting with them will be more important than ever this year. Add to this the expansion of Disney theme parks and their mission to customize family visits and you can see how family time is the new trend.

Offline travel is on the rise as well. After many years of instant social media sharing from any travel location, it seems that people have decided to step away from the screen and immerse themselves in their travel surroundings.

Amongst all the new ways of travelling though, there are five trends that have really taken over and would be dominant in 2021 and the years to come. Here they are:

Sustainable Travel

This trend has been on the rise for a few years now but this will be the year that it’ll really take over. More and more people from all generations are becoming more conscious of what their travelling habits mean for the environment and communities they visit.

In a bid to decrease their personal travel footprint, travellers are now choosing more eco-friendly, carbon-neutral methods of getting from one place to another. Airlines themselves have started pointing out which of their flights are producing less CO2 and competitiveness between airline companies is starting to be visible.

It’s not only the transportation method though; travellers are also choosing their hotels more carefully, as well as the food they’re eating while at that destination. It seems like sustainable travel is the new way!

Bleisure Travel

This new term, combining business and leisure, emerged towards the end of 2020. It might not be a new concept for some people but the possibility of remote working opened up the possibility of travelling without sacrificing any of your days off. It’s becoming quite the permanent trend and a lot more bleisure travels are expected in 2021.

Companies themselves have decided to mix business and leisure by offering their employees more off time to enjoy when travelling to conferences or cross-country meetings. There are also options for family members to join in!

Whether you are working remotely or having to travel for work, bleisure travelling gives you the opportunity to combine both things for a more relaxed and productive working environment. If you’re already thinking about working from some exotic beach, here’s all the information you need on some of the best remote work visas.

3. Solo travel & Co-Living

Solo travelling is nothing new and although its popularity has risen in recent years, there's a new trend connected to solo travellers. Co-living is a fairly new concept that offers solo travellers the opportunity to save money, explore new things and meet new people. It’s not hard to see why co-living is quickly becoming the number one trend in the travel world.

Unlike hostels or Airbnb, co-living allows you to meet with like-minded travellers and share more than just living arrangements. Most places are fully furnished and specially designed for people to live, work and relax in. Imagine living in the perfect place without having to pay a fortune and with the freedom to leave whenever you want!

4. Spartan Holiday

Another completely new trend that is taking the travel world by storm, Spartan holiday promotes a disconnection from the digital world in order to truly enjoy your vacation. Think of a minimalist approach to travelling - only essential gear and no smart phones! It’s all about living in the moment and engaging with nature, culture and people around you so you can fully appreciate the destination you’re visiting.

This, plus the idea that Spartan holidays are mostly in the wilderness, where social distancing is no issue, and you quickly realize why this is the future of travelling, especially for nature lovers. Beware though, we wouldn’t recommend a Spartan holiday as your first big travel adventure as the minimalist approach can quickly turn sour when you’re not used to a complete disconnection.

5. The Return of Train Travel

Several factors have contributed to bringing back train travel, with the sustainable travelling we already mentioned being on the top of the list. Apart from being eco-friendly though, trains also offer something no other transportation can - they make travel more about the journey than the destination.

The pandemic helped push the trains to come out of retirement; it’s much easier to social distance yourself and follow regulations in a train than in a flight. Several night train routes in mainland Europe are going to be revived in the coming years with Sweden already offering sleeper trains from Stockholm to Lapland and planning to offer a new service to and from the Austrian Alps from February 2021.

The UK, Austria and Germany have begun introducing or revamping sleeper routes as well. France and Italy have also joined by promising to revitalise rail connections so they can make their networks greener and more efficient. Other countries have vowed to do the same, such as Japan, with its brand new luxury sightseeing train in Kyushu. With generation Z being one of the biggest travelling groups, it seems like train travel is here to stay!

So, there you have them: the top five travel trends we predict for this year. Which one would you try first? Have a look at our top destinations for 2021 and combine both for one amazing adventure!

For more travel news, check out our montly travel news updates of September, October, November and December to keep up to date with the travel developments and trends that are occurring around the world.

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  • Please note: We are in complicated times and travel has been heavily influenced by COVID-19. Please check our worldwide travel information and the local regulations of your travel destination so that you are well prepared for your travels.