Travel Trends For 2019: How People Are Going To Be Exploring The World Next Year

Unsplash/Helena Sollie

A new year means 365 days to explore the planet in brand new ways, seeing places we’ve never seen before and discovering new things along the way. But this year, there are some new trends coming to the travel space. Here’s what we see hitting it big in 2019, from how we spend our time to the impact of how we explore the world.

Curated Itineraries

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While no one is going to skip going to the Colosseum in Rome, they’ll likely also be booking a food tour through the local neighborhoods’ best bistros. Next year, it’s all about filling your travel itinerary with exactly the stuff that gets you the most excited while still seeing the sights that you’d regret not snapping a pic of before you hit the more niche activities. So hike when you wanna hike, taste every last variety of espresso if you’re a coffee snob and don’t feel pressured to spend all day at a museum that doesn’t interest you just because it’s famous. It’s your trip, so use your time how you want.

Visiting Second Cities

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While Marrakesh might be the biggest name in Morocco, more travelers will be heading to smaller and even more charismatic cities like pretty blue Chefchaouen. And instead of just visiting one city in a country, we’re excited to get outside the big metros and see the other spots where people live. In the U.S., this means spending less time in Los Angeles and more time in California’s coastal towns. Smaller often means fewer tourists and more to discover that hasn’t already been posted all over Instagram.

Intentionally Unplugging

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Speaking of Instagram, we’re seeing more and more people posting less and less of their vacations. Jetsetters conscious of how much time they’re spending on social media are taking their days off from work to also be days off from their screens — including their cell phones. Expect to see a select few posts from vacays instead of a photo dump a day.

Sustainable Goals

Unsplash/Erik Witsoe

With terrifying climate change reports blowing our minds every day, travelers are eager to minimize their carbon footprint while traveling. More and more airlines offer the chance to purchase a carbon offset package along with your plane ticket, and while exploring the world, many people are opting to bike, walk or take public transit versus renting a private car.

Spontaneous Travel Planning

Unsplash/Jayajumar Ananthan

In this digital age, it’s easier than ever to make last-minute plans. Because often, you can’t get the full picture of what a destination will look like until you’re on the ground, on location. So in 2019, we think we’re going to see a lot more people making a rough outline of plans and booking a whole lot of fun, spontaneous adventures right from their phones while sitting in cafes in their dream destinations.

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