Experts correctly predicted that the luxury travel market would see significant growth in 2022, with Google searches for luxury travel seeing a 761.5% uplift in the last month. However, the idea of “luxury” is being redefined, as it no longer means spending lots of money for the sake of it. Instead, luxury travel is about carefully curated experiences that suit individuals’ needs. As travel experts, Go2Africa have analysed Google trend data to reveal the luxury travel trends that are dominating this summer.
Go2Africa
Positive impact travel
Google searches for impact travel have seen a 1650% uplift in the last month
According to a 2022 Impact Tourism Report, 96% of travellers said that they believed it’s important their travels positively impact the communities and environments they visit. However, it can be difficult to know whether you are making a genuinely positive impact on your travels and whether or not you are being “greenwashed.” To combat this, reputable tour companies and holiday operators can guarantee a community-friendly holiday, that leaves a positive mark on the place or country you visit.
There are numerous holiday types, from island getaways and safaris to city escapes, where simply visiting with the best possible tour operator are enough to leave a positive impact. In addition, there are other ways you can create a positive impact yourself. From actively volunteering with local charities to the smaller act of litter picking while out exploring, the idea of positive impact travel is to leave a place in a better condition than when you arrived.
Environmental and conservational good
Google searches for environmental travel have seen a 319.4% uplift in the last month
A survey conducted earlier this year showed that 87.32% of holidaymakers said sustainable travel was at least somewhat, if not very, important to them and 81.57% plan to make more eco-friendly decisions when travelling. This is thought to have been caused by a few different instances, from the general rise in awareness of the effects of climate change on the world to the pandemic forcing people to change their habits.
Personal growth
Google searches for wellness retreat has seen a 341.4% uplift in the last month
Holidays with well-being and mindfulness at their core have become incredibly popular with travellers this year, as many want to use their time off to experience things they otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to do back home. Naturally, travelling encourages people to feel braver and more adventurous, and those who fully embrace this tend to return home feeling not only rejuvenated but feeling a sense of pride.
An extremely popular trend that’s dominating luxury travel and promoting personal growth, is wellness retreats. Google searches for “wellness retreats” have seen a massive 366.7% uplift in the last month, as the UK is understanding the importance of wellbeing more. Wellness retreat types can vary, with some focusing on yoga and meditation, yet others focused on simply switching off from the real world, with the goal being to return home feeling healthier and more relaxed than when you arrived.
Once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Google searches for bucket list travel have seen a 9900% uplift in the last month
Once reserved for gap year students and retirees, once-in-a-lifetime experiences are now seeing a soar in interest from numerous holidaymakers. The pandemic is said to be the reason for this, as two years of limited travelling and holidays, in general, resulted in more time for people to plan bigger adventures and make up for time lost by the pandemic. A survey conducted earlier this year reported that 76% of luxury travel advisors saw an increase in demand for bucket list holidays.
One of the most popular once-in-a-lifetime experiences is an African Safari, which in itself has seen an enormous 707.1% uplift in Google searches in the last month alone. This coincides with the environmental and conservational good trend, as travellers want to experience incredible sights like spotting the Big 5 in their natural habitat while knowing their trip is contributing to the conservation of the animals and their habitat.
Extended family travelling
Google searches for large family holiday have seen a 6700% uplift in the last month
The pandemic separated many families and friends for at least two years, so now there’s a huge increase in multi-generational holidays across families and even friends. Multi-generational travel is ideal for families who want to both make up for lost time, thanks to the pandemic, but also to help strengthen and maintain relationships. After all, the pandemic showed just how important the close people in our lives are.
As there are many different ages and tastes to cater for, it can seem daunting to book a multi-generational holiday that will maintain peace across the family. However, multi-generational holidays are easy to successfully plan and pull off; the key is having something for everyone. Consider a luxury lodge for multi-generational families that offer a mixture of adventure with relaxation.
