Travel Company: “What are your expectations from your vacation?” Client: “Fly me to the Moon” (with due apologies to Frank Sinatra)

Look at the social media feeds of anyone in your friends circle. Travel content will be the most watched & liked content. Not only does everyone want to enjoy their holiday, they also want to bask in the glory of Insta & FB likes. So it goes without saying that they will be doing a ton of research before visiting a new place.

As travel professionals, we need to keep up with the expectations of the most demanding of our travellers. By understanding their needs, we can match the right people with the right trip based on everything from their interests to their budget. We need to be on the cutting edge of innovation and creativity so that we can create experiences that delight travellers.

Here’s are the top 10 travel trends & innovations that you need to know about:

Unexplored Destinations: Heard about Aletsch Arena in Switzerland, Binsar in India or Formentera in Spain? Offering a new destination will give you a clear competitive advantage as well as a great way to upsell your offerings of guided tours or special events.

Wellness Retreats, Breaks & Activities: People are always looking for a break from their stressful lives, and personalized wellness vacations are designed to improve their health & wellbeing. These vacations can be combined with interesting activities like lionfish spearing in Belize, being a “silletero” for a day in Medellín or a salsa dance holiday.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: You can now offer tailor made packages to senior citizens, solo travellers, people with disabilities and other diverse groups. Such groups are now a growing segment and they look for safe, secure & suitable destinations. You can also provide options for group activities to help travellers connect with each other.

Unique Accommodation: Yurts, floating villas, old & historic buildings like lighthouses or churches converted into hotels, cave hotels and glamping can be one-of-a-kind stay options for travellers. It is a great way to increase your revenue & helps to cement your brand’s longevity in the market.

Mystery Trip: This is another niche where you organize the entire vacation and your client does not find out the destination till the last minute. These trips create suspense for the traveller, and they don’t have to worry about doing the research and organizing the trip.

Extreme Sports: Volcano boarding, bouldering (climbing 20 ft or less without ropes) & coasteering (swimming, climbing, scrambling and diving to cover a coat line) are some thrilling adventures you can offer your adrenaline junkie clients. Not only do they get the most amazing adventures, they will keep coming back to you for more.

Digital Detox: In today’s “always on” life, we are constantly working wherever we are. Digital Detox vacations help travellers take back control of their lives & truly leave work behind. Some places even offer a discount if the traveller hands in her phone and laptop during the stay. Rest, Relaxation & Rejuvenation are the key takeaways from this vacation.

Climate Conscious Travel: Staying in a local guest house rather than a big hotel chain, avoiding long-haul flights, bike/walking tours & eating locally grown food are some of the options that you can include in the itinerary for your climate-conscious travellers. These choices will make your client feel that she has contributed towards sustainability & give her a locally relevant experience at the same time.

Special Interest: As we become more connected to people who share our hobbies and passions through social platforms, a new opportunity of travel is emerging to bring them together. You can create products to accommodate groups of dancers, sketchers, photography lovers, etc. so that they can come together to practice their hobbies in the right atmosphere.

Volunteer Travel: There are a lot of people who want to help disadvantaged communities and contribute to their success when they travel. Wildlife conservation, community building, working with kids & public health awareness are popular options for holidays that make a difference.