Fascinating Trends That Take the Getaway Game to the Next Level
1.
WORKCATIONS
Workcations or "bleisure" trips mix the business of working from home with the leisure of vacationing. With workcations, more folks book longer trips, working on either end of their vacation with paradise as their "office." Some countries, like Bermuda and Barbados, are even offering digital nomad visas.1,2 That could make workcations a travel trend that's here to stay.
2.
FRIENDCATIONS
More folks will be traveling with friends this year. After missed milestones and months (or years) of Zooming since 2020, friends are reuniting for the first time in a while, and they're traveling in bigger groups to do it. That's one reason why bookings for party spots that are great for big groups — like Vegas, the Caribbean, and Ibiza — exploded in 2022.3
3.
GOAT Vacations
Ready to take the greatest vacation of all time ("GOAT")? Many folks are, and they're ready to spend a pretty penny to do it. In fact, that Carpe Diem or You Only Live Once (YOLO) spirit has most folks planning to splurge and go BIG on their next trip.3 That's made bucket list vacations and once-in-a-lifetime experiences one of today's hottest travel trends.3
4.
Extreme Adventures & Expeditions
Feeling bored or cooped up? Want to take on a thrilling new physical challenge? If so, your dream vacation could be an extreme adventure. Many folks, ready for adventure, are booking safaris, deep sea dives, and extreme hiking adventures. Some are even going to sophisticated space "camps" for truly out-of-this-world experiences.4
5.
Transformational Travel
Vacations focused on self-improvement, healing, and well-being are also very popular these days. Like friendcations, transformational travel isn't brand new to the scene. But it's showing up in novel ways. Lose your job or a loved one? Take a retreat to find a new career path or deal with loss. Want something more mind-expanding? Maybe a hallucinogenic healing trip is your cup of tea. These days, transformational travel is breaking new boundaries, and the options for "healing" vacations are practically limitless.4
6.
Showcations
Diehard fans are taking showcations to trek around the world and connect with their favorite shows on a deeper level. Newbury, England, for instance, has seen a surge of Downton Abbey fans touring castles featured on the show. Game of Thrones fans are flocking to Northern Ireland where they can walk through the magical tree tunnel known as The Dark Hedges. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for showcations and the fans who've made them so popular.
7.
Pet Travel
These days, more folks are bringing their pets with them for leisure and business travel, especially when they're taking trips for at least two days.5 That's probably why more airlines and hotels are becoming pet-friendly, finding ways to not just accommodate pets but to also treat them like guests.6 One unique aspect of this trend is how some folks are integrating it into other travel trends — like taking workcations or planning extreme adventures with their pets.
