Future travel trend predictions for 2021

Travel trends come and go, but as the world slowly recovers from Covid-19 and borders start to open across many countries, wanderlust has taken a whole new meaning for travel enthusiasts who are now making plans for 2021 and beyond. What travel trends can we expect in 2021? Let's find out.

Cautionary transportation

It's not that easy to just book a flight and hop on to a plane at the moment. Many airlines have drastically reduced the number of flights and destinations offered and often only have a limited number of seats available. With so many precautions to keep in mind, it's also essential to get a Covid-19 test done to show authorities before travelling. Companies like Medicspot offer fit-to-fly certificates to help ease your burden and make flying a little less stressful, which is likely to be a long-term requirement well into 2021 and beyond.

Travellers will also be looking for transport options that offer optimum hygiene standards, that uphold precautions from fellow passengers and offer a variety of social distancing options within the aircraft, train or car.

Preference for outdoor

In a bid to stay away from people and crowded areas, more and more travellers are looking to book outdoor holidays. After spending weeks, sometimes months, indoors due to lockdowns and regulations, nature's calling is likely to be strong in 2021.

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.

Smaller groups and privacy

With family time becoming a rare occasion, and with relatives being kept apart for months at a time due to this year's restrictions, more travellers will opt to spend time with close and loved ones rather than large groups of strangers.

Private tours in 2021 will give families the opportunity to spend time together and make up for memories lost due to the missed weddings, birthdays and anniversaries of 2020. Private tours will also ensure that contact with strangers is minimised, a trend that is going to continue over the next few years.

Local and domestic

Staycations have become increasingly popular this year due to border closures, with people looking for hotels within their own city or neighbouring cities to escape to. More than 75% of consumers plan to support local businesses in their community, and this trend extends to their travel plans as well.

Over the summer, Airbnb launched a global campaign to support local travel and economic growth in key destinations across the world, through a series of partnerships. As we near 2021, people are more conscious of what they spend their money on and what they can contribute to – which brings us to our final trend.

Sustainability and health

Climate change and global warming is a hot topic across the world, and travellers are now looking to be more socially responsible and sustainable for the planet. Conservation breaks, volunteer trips and eco-friendly holidays are on everyone's mind when booking their 2021 getaways. People are looking for ways they can make a positive impact on the environment, by minimising waste, reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a sharing economy.

2021 – the year of 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.