There will almost certainly be a travel recovery early next year, according to most surveys. There’s a lot of evidence of travel intent. Over the last time, Skyscanner has seen a 368% jump in searches for international destinations for travel in January. Its data suggests this growing consumer confidence continues, with searches for travel in July, rising by 94%. No one knows the future, of course. But plenty of signs are pointing to a bounce-back, which could make 2021 the year of travel.

Flexible bookings and WFHotels

Flexible bookings will also be key in 2021 travel itineraries. Making sure we choose flights, hotel, and car hire options with lenient change and cancellation policies are vital. This is a major win for frequent flyers. Best of all, you can filter for flights and hotels with free cancellations on Skyscanner.

Many of us have experienced working from home this year, and while there are many positives that come from clocking in from your couch, it does have its downsides. The lack of separation between home life and work life can whittle away both work productivity and family time. Many who work from home battle a constant stream of interruptions, in the form of laundry or the next episode on Netflix.

As certain restrictions have eased, some people have started to venture away from home. Without the need to go into an office every day, they’ve questioned why they’re in a certain city. Instead of staying put, they’re booking into hotels in destinations they’ve always wanted to see. By day, they work (often in a business centre) and by night they explore their new surroundings. If you want to WFHotel for 2021 travel, find one by the beach and ask if you can reverse your working hours.

Fresh air and Remote working

According to luxury travel operator Scott Dunn, travellers in 2021 will be seeking fresh air and ‘pure’ elements, heading towards the remote areas of Iceland and open spaces of the Norwegian countryside. Adventure seekers and nature-lovers will embrace camping trips, ski trips and island resorts as opposed to city breaks. One step beyond WFHotels is remote working as a digital nomad. The idea is simple. Where you go, your work follows. Nowadays, many of us can work from anywhere. Generally all we need is an internet connection and we’re good to go.

With in-person meetings a thing of the past, people have had a better chance than ever to get out of the city. And the more remote they go, the fewer people there are to interact with. There, you’ll find fresh air, natural scenery and adventure, in between emails and video meetings.

Smart travel 

These are just some travel trends to keep in mind when booking your next holiday. Although no one knows what tomorrow will bring, let alone next year, 2020 has taught us to be smart and well-prepared for anything that comes our way. We need to be adaptable and open-minded, especially when it comes to travel. Health and safety is first on everyone’s mind, so if we keep that our priority, travel in 2021 should be as exciting as we hope.

Given all that’s gone on in the world this year, 2021 travel planning is going to look a lot different than it did prior to 2020. Care-free travelling isn’t very possible right now. Travel insurance, for instance, has evolved from a great idea to a mandatory inclusion if you want to visit some countries or in places where healthcare is limited.

One-way travel is way up

This has been the year of one-way travel (rather than return trips). Earlier in the year, travellers prioritised getting back home while the going was good. As the pandemic continued, we’ve seen searches for one-way flights drop slightly, but they’re still at a significantly higher level than they were at this time in 2019 (or even before March 2020).

Will one-way trips be popular in the 2021 travel world? People are still moving in one direction for many reasons. Expats who stayed put at the beginning of the year are slowly returning home. Meanwhile, other people are seeking alternative places to live for the remainder of the pandemic.

Last-minute bookings

While we all know by now that the best time to book a holiday is well in advance, it’s hard to know exactly what the world will look like in a few months. With national borders opening and closing so often, it’s difficult to know where you can go. Because of this, we’ve seen a huge increase in people looking for last-minute getaways, which are trips planned within the next month or less.

From a practical standpoint, it makes sense. Many people have been navigating around cancelled flights and hotel bookings, so investing money in a holiday that might not happen can seem daunting. Instead, some travellers are booking short-haul trips within the next few weeks when there’s a clearer perception of what’s happening with travel restrictions.

In 2021, you’re likely to meet two types of travelers. One is on a replacement vacation. The second type of traveler is the one who waited an entire year to get out and travel. Stuck indoors for the better part of 2020, these travelers will want to do more and will be willing to spend more, according to experts.

If there is one thing these emerging trends are showing us, it’s that people can turn challenges to chances and evolve to create opportunities that will well survive the pandemic. With the full recovery of the travel and tourism sector on the horizon, the world will look forward to the new ways to travel.

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