Travel trends: how travel has changed in 2021

The past year has dramatically changed the way of life for many people and spawned many travel trends. Restrictions have encouraged us to travel to places we might never otherwise have visited. We tell you how else travel has changed in recent times.

Senior Lecturer of the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Sports at Plekhanov Russian Economic University.

Restrictions have pushed us to travel in our own country.

How has tourism changed in 2021?

Finding themselves in conditions of closed borders and limited movement, many people have rethought the value of traveling. In response to this “retreat”, for example, there is a trend to visit what is literally “around the corner” from home. This is a kind of “micro-tourism”, a trip of a couple of days to explore a farmstead, a museum, or to participate in a craft or culinary master class organized by local producers.

Julia: This concept fits well with the current ideas of moderate consumption and general environmentalism. Travelers are increasingly being encouraged to participate in the preservation of the ecosystems they visit. Travelers plant trees, nurse wild animals, participate in building infrastructure for the local population, share their knowledge in a certain area and pass it on to the indigenous people. For example, when visiting the ornithological station “Fringilla” on the Curonian Spit, which is located in the north of the Kaliningrad region, one can take part in ringing migratory birds.

Another trend is medical tourism, which is related to health care, both preventive and restorative. A concept called bleisure – an English neologism formed from the words “business” and “leisure” – is also gaining momentum. The trend involves combining work and vacation, where the only condition is, in fact, the availability of fast and stable Internet. This idea is especially close to those who work remotely.

What travel trends are gaining momentum now?

Glamping

After the regime of self-isolation, many people have a need for a vacation in nature. In this regard, glamping (short for “glamorous camping”) has become very popular, where you can live, on the one hand, in the most natural environment, and on the other hand – in very comfortable conditions compared to traditional tents.

co-founder of UMAMI TRAVEL – a bureau of author’s travels and retreats

Such “rooms” are still not enough for everyone who wants to stay, but we see a great trend. Glamping sites increase the level of hotel service beyond the Moscow Ring Road and Ring Road without impressive investments.

In addition, they make hard-to-reach locations “inhabitable” without requiring the laying of communications and complex construction works. The future of tourism in Russia lies behind such a comfortable and environmentally friendly format of recreation.

Camping

In general, the trend towards living in non-standard objects is only increasing. For example, recently in England the concept called champing has started to gain popularity. The trend involves overnight stays in abandoned historic churches. The rent includes a sleeping place, candles and lanterns, and for an additional fee you can even order breakfast. The idea was developed by The Church Conservation Trust, a British charity that donates money from the accommodation of tourists to the maintenance of churches. There are already 14 church complexes as campgrounds.

Slow tourism

Slow tourism, popular today, was born as an extension of the slow food movement, which opposes fast food. The idea of slow-tourism is roughly the same: to feel the vacation time, enjoying every moment of it. For this purpose it is important to abandon the race to visit all the “must-see” places, taking as a basis the motto: see less, but better.

Gennady: This trend will continue to develop in the future. Four years ago tourists started to build a philosophy of conscious traveling. They broadcast a careful attitude to locations, the importance of supporting the local community, responsibility when choosing travel companions, the need for complete immersion in the culture and traditions of the place.

Author’s tours

Another trend is the transition from classic package tourism to individualized author’s tours. This is confirmed by the figures: this year the number of searches for “author’s tours” increased by 20%. In this aspect, Russia is only catching up with global travel trends. Abroad, the concept of small group adventure travel has long been a powerful alternative to standard tour operator offers and is very popular.

Virtual travel

Thanks to photo and video tours it is possible to travel to any point on the map right from home. Virtual travel services allow you to do it for free, and some of them simulate communication with fellow travelers and play sounds. For example, you can look at some of the world’s best paintings with Google’s Art Project. And you can watch the lives of people from different parts of the world on earthcam.com. However, the experience of virtual reality, as a rule, does not last long and will not compare to a real two-week vacation in Turkey.