5 Travel Trends to Watch in 2021

It’s been just over a year since most of us packed up our offices and watched travel press releases announcing cruise quarantines and flight cancellations slow to a trickle before giving way completely to COVID-related news.

But after a year of cancellations, virtual adaptations, staycations, and tentative “looking ahead,” travel news is finally rebounding.

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Cision’s distribution team is consistently tagging more and more press releases for travel publications and sites, buoyed by robust forecasts and surveys, rising vaccination numbers, and insights from 2020. These are five key trends we’re noticing in the content we’re issuing.

5 Travel News Trends

1. Wellness
   “Wellness” became an inescapable part of our lexicon in 2020, so it’s no surprise it’s top of mind for people looking to travel this year. Whether it’s restorative treatments, customized retreats, learning to prepare gourmet healthy food, or hiking and biking, travelers are eager to de-stress and indulge in some self-care.
2. Safety & Sustainability
   Another positive pandemic holdover is that people are more mindful about traveling consciously and sustainably. Numerous surveys reveal that people are willing to spend more on accommodations that operate safely and responsibly. Younger travelers are leading the way on this front in the U.S.
3. Road Trips
   Travelers aren’t quite ready to dust off the passports just yet, with the majority of participants in various surveys opting to stay close to home in 2021. That means road trips to nearby states or opting for larger-scale domestic travel rather than venturing abroad. Those who plan to stay local this year intend to travel longer and are looking to state tourism groups and road-trip facilitating companies for assistance.
4. Family/Pod Trips
   Travelers intend to spend time with family this year – whether it’s their pandemic pod or relatives they’ve been separated from during lockdown. Family vacation bookings are taking place earlier and more often than in previous years and are forecast to become more common in 2021.
5. Dream-Trip Planning
   The general consensus is that large-scale international travel will resume in 2022. Travelers are saving up for the once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list vacations to far-flung locales. They’re willing to spend more and travel longer after being cooped up for the better part of two years. Look for cruise lines and luxury resorts to cater specifically to these plans.

Sarah Roberts is a manager in Customer Content Services at PR Newswire. In a previous life, she was a newspaper reporter in the Midwest. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, exploring the craft beer scene, and petting all the dogs.