A Travel Expert’s Predictions For 2021 Trends

Travel expert Frances Geoghegan, owner of Africa Travel, Healing Holidays and Cleveland Collection, gives her inside view on what trends she’s seeing for 2021.

2021 Travel Trends

Slow Travel

I believe we will all travel slower in 2021, that we will want a more immersive and engaging experience, to be more connected with where we are. We will take fewer trips, choosing rather longer stays that offer much more depth of experience. Our Africa Travel team certainly confirms this trend, with requests for the big-ticket African encounters like gorilla trekking in Rwanda now featuring more than just a snapshot of the country, but a full country experience to include the lesser-known areas like the Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest, and the vibrant and safe capital city of Kigali; it’s all about the ‘slow Safari’.

BOOK IT: Simply Rwanda

Africa Travel (020 7843 3500) can arrange a Gorilla trekking trip to Rwanda from £6,850 per person sharing, which includes flights, transfers, one night with breakfast at the Kigali Serena Hotel and three nights with all meals and lodge activities at Bisate Lodge.

Sustainability

There is also a real demand for itineraries that include properties and camps that clearly show their conservation and eco-credentials. One of the real positives of the travel lockdown has been the clearer air, due to less pollution from industry and travel, and this has had a notably positive effect on the wildlife in Africa and the natural world as a whole. However, Covid-19 has also adversely impacted the lives of many Africans as they have had virtually no industry or income since this all started, and this has also left many endangered animals highly vulnerable to wildlife crime. We are supporting many initiatives, like the Project Ranger programme with Great Plains safaris, which is helping with wildlife monitoring and stopping poaching levels.

BOOK IT: Ultimate Botswana

Africa Travel (020 7843 3500) can arrange a luxury safari to Botswana from £16,995 per person sharing, which includes flights, transfers, two nights with all activities and meals at Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi, two nights on safari with all meals and safari activities in the Okavango Delta at Abu Camp, two nights on safari with all meals and safari activities in the Okavango Delta at Sanctuary Chief’s Camp and two nights on safari with all meals and safari activities in the Selinda Game Reserve at Zarafa Dhow Suites

Multi-Gen Travel

We are also noting an increased demand for multi-generational holidays – families have not been able to spend much quality time together these past few months, and so many are planning large family gatherings, with private safari lodge and villa bookings particularly good.

BOOK IT: South Africa for all the family

Africa Travel (020 7843 3500) can arrange a family holiday to South Africa from £7,990 per family of two adults and two children under 10yrs sharing, which includes flights with British Airways, a hire car, three nights with breakfast at the Palace Of The Lost City in Rustenburg, three nights with breakfast at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, three nights with breakfast at the Fancourt Hotel on the Garden Route and two nights on safari with all meals and safari activities in the Amakhala Game Reserve at Hlosi Lodge

Wellness

Our demand for Wellness and Spa breaks has never been stronger. We are all chomping at the bit to return to the places we love – to our old favourites like Chiva Som, Kamalaya, Ananda and SHA. This has taken priority over the regular holiday escapes as we want to relive that euphoric feeling that you can only get once you have had a great wellness experience.

There continues to be a huge demand for Medical Spas, where we can go to sort out those niggling injuries or worries which have been swept under the carpet because of Covid. There is a big need for time with proper and in-depth face-to-face consultations with our great Doctors like Dr Stossier at Viva Mayr, Dr Benedetto-Reisch at Lanserhof, and Dr Max at Palace Merano. We want to do the full MOT at Villa Stephanie under the watchful eye of Dr Koenig and his Kingsway programme. We need to see where our health is at, and we need to be reassured as there is so much anxiety around.

The biggest 2021 travel trend of all though is the demand for long immersive stays, aiming to spark transformation, and address deep-rooted fears and anxieties. Many Spas and retreats are offering long stay  programmes, like Absolute sanctuary in Thailand, but none are more curated and finely tuned to your needs than at Vana in India, where you can stay for up to three months. There, there is an assembly of experts – Ayurvedic doctors, yoga teachers, Tibetan healers, fitness experts, acupuncturists and a strong staff of therapists to help you get your life back on track. There is also Buddhist healing and learning in tandem with Ayurvedic nurturing, all complemented with Chinese Medicine. And if the last ten months or so has taught us anything it’s that health is indeed wealth, and we must do all we can to optimise our overall wellness.

BOOK IT: Wellness at Vana

Healing Holidays (020 3372 6447) can arrange a three month bespoke stay at Vana from £19,699 per person sharing. The price includes flights, transfers, VIP meet & greet airport assistance, full board accommodation and a full wellbeing programme, including an initial in depth arrival consultation, daily Yoga, meditation, lectures, nutritional advice and a programme tailored to your goals.

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