Traveling isn't just a means of escaping, but rather a catalyst for living life to the fullest. Every planned trip aims to immerse oneself in an enriching experience that nourishes the traveler with all the newness provided by the chosen destination.
And this way of traveling also extends to educational travel. The new generations are more immersed in the problems and issues plaguing the planet and in finding, within their travels, learnings, and knowledge that are enriching not only for themselves but for society and the environment as a whole. Additionally, they seek simplicity, solving things quickly and efficiently.
That's why, in the travel trends of 2024, also within student travel programs, new forms of enjoyable and educational tourism have emerged to highlight these orientations and primarily seek to make the experience one of reinvention and self-discovery.
Destinations linked to ecotourism, sleep tourism, gastrotourism, and a growing interest in water destinations mark the trends in choice for 2024. In addition to the large-scale advancement of new technologies.
Fresher Destinations - Sirenomania
Climate change has been affecting how people plan their trips, and 2024 will be no exception. As temperatures rise in the areas where they live, they seek destinations where they can cool off.
This effect is related to the predicted increase in water-focused travel to alleviate the heat and also help people forget their worries. Being close to the water provides a sense of relaxation. Making a conscious immersion in the water is quickly becoming the next conventional version of meditation, where wild swimming and the ice therapy method (popularized by Wim Hof) come together.
This form of revitalizing wellness travel will drive the growth of floating yoga, baths with water sounds, and snow meditation, as well as the rise of retreats with ice therapy, underwater hotels, and "sirenomania," where water is no longer secondary but the main event.
Gastronomy Explorers
Travelers are increasingly interested in learning about the origins of the typical delicacies of the destination they are in. Food enthusiasts rely on "gastrotourism" to learn about the history, geography, and unique products that make the cuisine that awakens all the senses.
The travel community seeks those flavors that are part of the heritage to empower underrepresented people and thus discover the secrets of cultures that may have been lost or forgotten elsewhere in the world. An increase in authentic experiences that lead people down paths telling the story behind the dishes served is expected, bringing pride and income to communities worldwide.
Responsible Aesthetics
Some time ago, the words "sustainable" and "style" were not necessarily synonymous, and the term "ecotourism" gave the idea of primitive camps. Design and consciousness converge with tourism in 2024, opening new inspiring doors for the travel community that wants to make more conscious and responsible decisions, not just for a getaway but as a lifestyle.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement of hotels and other accommodations offering original responses that are aesthetically pleasing to the significant environmental and social challenges. Travelers seek stunning architecture with environmental features of sustainable innovation and the exterior of accommodations with green spaces and plants.
Nostalgic Journeys
The idea of nostalgic journeys is another trend that will be on the rise in 2024 and can take many forms. The first is that travelers long for simpler times before smartphones and digital technology and opt for remote locations where they can feel isolated from the modern world or travel by older means of transportation, such as steam railways.
The other aspect that is very common is the desire to visit destinations they visited as children or iconic places they remember from movies, TV shows, or video games.
Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Travel
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming one of the main trends. Many types of AI are now used in everything related to travel. Chatbots use artificial intelligence to automate and optimize many sales and customer service tasks. Since customers require faster response times and more interaction, chatbots bridge the gap when human operators are unavailable.
Although their functionality is limited, chatbots can provide a wealth of useful information to customers. Machine learning allows these systems to learn from each interaction and continuously improve. AI is also widely used in data collection and analysis: essential tools for increasing efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction.
Wider Adoption of Contactless Payments
Contactless payment has been a significant trend in travel technology for some time, but the situation with COVID made it even more common. Contactless payments have proven to be an excellent way to minimize physical contact between people, but they remain an efficient and convenient payment method, offering travelers greater convenience and a faster payment process.
The Power of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality technology has been one of the innovative technological trends, and its role within the travel industry surpasses almost any other area of use. After all, virtual reality allows showcasing destinations, viewing accommodations, and exploring attractions, all through a digital experience. This can be especially useful in the decision stage when travelers want to be certain they are going to the right place.
Virtual Reality and Metaverse Travel
Few travel trends offer the true excitement factor that virtual reality and metaverse travel can provide. Essentially, the metaverse refers to virtual worlds where social interactions can occur, driven by virtual reality and augmented reality technology, as well as social media elements, offering great potential for the travel industry. It will be possible to explore virtual recreations of locations from the comfort of home.
These trends are breaking the mold of the travel model we know. The world is changing, and therefore, the way we know it and explore it is changing too. School trips have long ceased to be purely academic knowledge exchanges to become life experiences that guide and shape the future, and today, with these orientations, it is demonstrated.
