Is your passport ready for 2022?
With restrictions lifting worldwide, revenge travel is in full swing, and people are not wasting time.
According to KAYAK, there is a 108% increase in searches, signaling to the travel industry that people are itching to satisfy their wanderlust.
After all, we have two years of only seeing the four corners of our homes to make up for.
The pandemic has certainly changed how we travel, and there’s lots of interesting data to dive into.
From where everyone is off to and why, emerging travel styles and even how travelers are packing is different.
Ready to jump into that statistics? Let’s unpack the top travel trends for summer 2022!
The Biggest Summer Travel Trends for 2022
Sustainable Tourism
Gone are the days of travelers wanting to visit a destination and leave without making an impact.
In 2022, 96% of travelers want to make sure their trip positively influences local communities and the environment.
What does this look like in practice?
- Scheduling travel plans to sustainable tourism hubs like Belize and Costa Rica.
- Swapping carbon-heavy activities for excursions like stargazing.
- Supporting small local businesses.
- Staying at eco-friendly hotels with sustainability initiatives or going on off-the-grid glamping trips.
Bucket list Travel
If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that the only thing that will stay the same is change. You can’t bank on a destination always being around or the freedom to even leave your house.
This year, people are dusting off their passports and gearing up to get revenge on the last two years.
And what’s leading the charge? A-list travel experiences.
Once-in-a-lifetime destinations like the Maldives are trending, with the island nation tracking well ahead of its usual summer bookings. Luxury travel advisors have seen an uptick in safaris trips to South Africa, and bucket list excursions to Antarctica are filling up.
Wellness Retreats
According to Google search results, retreats are among the hottest travel trends in 2022.
Some travelers are heading off to yoga retreats in Bali. Others are checking into wellness resorts. A few brave souls are venturing to Costa Rica for healing plant medicine getaways.
Hotels are catching onto the travel trend by expanding their wellness options. More and more properties offer in-room spa treatments and amenities like organic nighttime tea.
Beach Destinations
The sun is out, and that means (almost) everyone is making their way to the coast for the summer.
…But where is everyone headed?
According to KAYAK, searches for Punta Gorda in Florida are up 154%, with Cancun, Bahamas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands closely behind.
For the summer, other trending beach destinations on Google include Key West, Nassau, Punta Cana, and Costa Rica. Moreover, beaches mean other activities as well, including sportfishing (for which you can contact Costa Rica fishing charters), kitesurfing, yachting, flyboarding, etc.
Europe
No surprises here.
After two years of travel bans, Americans are heading back to Europe for the ultimate summer vacation.
They are striving to visit a variety of locations, including the Lake District, to explore its fantastic trails and mountains where they can hike, such as Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain at 978 meters. Simple and easy walks are ideal for beginners, whereas more difficult trails are ideal for those looking for a challenge. And since people can enjoy doing things like walking on trails, hiking, and so on at one place to get away from their monotonous work lives, probably, that is why there is an uptick in the population of people reserving holiday cottages for a comfortable stay.
Europe is believed to be one of the most promising destinations for all the tourists. They are also visiting the places to see old haunts or new cities, the continent dominates summer travel trends. People have the means to get in touch with a trusted company for van hire in Tamworth or wherever they go in Europe. Tourists can also choose rail or air travel, as everything is well connected over the continent.
According to Virtuoso data, destinations like Greece, Italy, France, and Spain lead the pack.
Scott Dunn and KAYAK back that data up. Almost 50% of Scott’s bookings are for Europe, with Greece nabbing 20% of bookings. At the same time, Palma de Mallorca has seen a 77% increase in searches on KAYAK.
Glamping
What’s one of the biggest travel trends over the last two years that isn’t going away any time soon?
Glamping.
According to Google’s travel trends report, glamping is the top search for where to stay on vacation. The trend first picked up steam in 2020 and is continuing to gather momentum.
That’s not surprising when you look at Google’s top searched summer attractions in the U.S.
Travelers are planning getaways to destinations like Glacier National Park, Lake Tahoe, and the Grand Canyon. All excellent destinations to ditch the stock-standard hotel and plan a glamping road trip instead.
Hand Luggage Only
Google searches are on the up for “how big can carry luggage be.”
What does that tell us?
More travelers are ditching bulky 20kg suitcases for minimal carry-on only travel.
I don’t know about you, but I’m here for this summer travel trend.
There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to step off a plane and go straight to arrivals without the 30 to 60-minute wait at baggage reclaim.
But the trend is also a sign of travelers opting for shorter weekend away trips, whether to local destinations like New York or close international getaways like Cancun.
Family Getaways
One of the hardest things about the last two years of travel restrictions was missing out on family birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other annual special occasions.
This year, multi-generational family trips are on the rise to make up for the lost time.
Parents are booking all-inclusive trips to resorts like Karisma’s Azul Beach Resorts in Riviera, Cancun. It has more than enough activities to keep the little ones busy, swim-up suites, and dining options the whole family will love.
Another family travel trend is booking homes where everyone can stay together. VRBO is seeing a surge in bookings for rentals that can fit six or more people.
What are the biggest summer travel trends, in your opinion? Do any of these ring true for your vacation plans? Let me know in the comments below.