USA Today: “15 trends that will shape travel”
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s not to make predictions. Still, travelers rightfully have questions about what travel will look like this year amid news of COVID-19 vaccines and pent-up travel demand. What will travel look like in 2021, and when will we actually be able to do it safely and without restrictions?
From digital vaccine cards to close-to-home river cruising opportunities, FamilyVacationist.com has pulled together a list of what you should know about the trends that could shape travel in the year ahead…
The average trip length will become longer
As companies continue to implement flexible work-from-home policies, the average trip length will become longer. Last year saw the creation of “Zoom Towns” and schoolcations where families and groups of friends temporarily migrated to a different part of the country to both work and play.
Evolve Vacation Rental is seeing an increase in the average length of stay, says co-founder and CEO Brian Egan. He also notes that the vacation rental platform is seeing double the number of 2021 vacation rental bookings for stays longer than 10 nights compared to last year. And where are they headed? “Warm weather areas like Arizona – Scottsdale, Tucson and Phoenix – as well as island destinations – Hilton Head Island, Marco Island and Kailua-Kona – are popular Zoom Towns with the longest length of stays,” he says.
Some hotels are even shifting to a monthly rate model. Anyplace, a flexible-term fully furnished housing marketplace, says the company has seen inbound inquiries up 200% compared to January 2020 (pre-COVID-19) from partners who want to offer monthly rentals. And then there’s D. Alexander, a home hotel collection whose “Destination Isolation” campaign offers travelers “destination homes” in desirable locations for periods of two weeks or more with flexible booking terms.
Read more @ USA Today
By: Ashley Rossi
