The anticipation of travel is a powerful boost to one’s mood.  And after a year of mandatory home “confinement”, we all need that boost! In our last blog post I talked about how excited our (almost) fully vaccinated clients are to travel again. Our phones have been ringing off the hook. Clients are asking us “Where can I travel now?” Some want to get going as soon possible and here are the last-minute trips they ask us to plan, mostly in nearby destinations.  Others look further ahead, knowing that this “I’ve got a trip to look forward to” lift will help them cope as we whittle our way out of the pandemic.

What ten travel trends are the travel advisors at Q seeing for late 2021, 2022 and beyond?

Here are ten trends we are seeing for post-pandemic travel:

1)  Pity the procrastinator!

Our clients are eager to make up for a “wasted” 2020 and 2021. Availability, especially for unique experiences – think one-off or seasonal itineraries, luxury suites on ships or in hotels, private villas – is limited and fares are going up. To get what you want, it pays to plan ahead.  We’ve been working on many trips in late 2021, 2022 and even into 2023.

2)  Bigger/Longer/Better

Annual vacation travel is a given for most of our clients.  After having been forced to stay put for over a year, our clients now allow themselves to make up for it. Many choose to apply their 2020 vacation days and budget to a longer trip in late 2021 or 2022.

We also see a trend for bigger and better: travelers treat themselves to a balcony room or suite on a cruise. Others upgrade to a for their vacation. Why? Some appreciate the fresh air and built-in social distancing more spacious accommodation offers. And others feel they and their families deserve some pampering after a year at home.

3)  World Cruises and Grand Voyages

Tying in with bigger/longer/better, we’ve seen a surge for world cruises and grand voyages. Oceania Cruises famously announced that its 2023 180-days world cruise sold out within one day of opening for sale to the general public. Regent Seven Seas sold all penthouse suites and above on its 2023 world cruise (143-nights from Miami to Barcelona) within hours after opening it for reservations.

We also see more unique itineraries.  For example, Silversea’s 2023 World Cruise (themed “South Side Story: all the world’s a stage”) visits 66 destinations, of which 40 are new to a Silversea world cruise: unusual destinations like Antarctica, the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, in addition to more traditional marquee ports like Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong and Cape Town.

100 years since the first world cruise

Talking about tradition: did you know that the first world voyage ever took place in 1923, on Cunard Line’s Laconia? In 2023, Cunard takes the opportunity to celebrate 100 years of world cruises.  Queen Mary 2 will sail 117-nights roundtrip from New York City, to places like Colombo, Hong Kong and Singapore, while Queen Victoria sails a 92-night itinerary from New York to Southampton with stops in Hong Kong, New York City, Singapore, Honolulu and the Panama Canal.

But bigger/better and especially longer does not work for everyone, so clients also contact us for shorter segments of these epic voyages in 2022 or 2023.

4)  Private Homes, Villas and Apartments

Another trend: clients “vant to be alone” with their own. Whether we’re talking family or a group of friends, more and more are asking about , apartments or home rentals.

With social distancing in a more controlled environment, a private home on vacation guarantees plenty of space to get together with your friends and family. Pool party?

Like us, our clients care about cleanliness and safety standards, so we don’t rely on the average apartment rental website. We only recommend accommodations vetted through our trusted partners.  (And if grocery shopping or cooking is not your idea of vacation, we can have our onsite partners take care of that for you.)

5)  Private Motorboats and Sailing Yachts

Ever considered ? Not every private yacht has to be a “Below Deck” superyacht. (Although we can organize those too!)  Clients ask us about private yachts from 2 to 12 guests all the time. Savvy sailors operate their own motorboat or catamaran, while we can arrange a crew (with gourmet chef, if you like) for novice boaters.

6)  Private Planes and Globe-spanning Private Jet Journeys

If you’ve ever flown on a private jet, you know why people love it. Time savings, control, privacy. You pick your departure and arrival airports (goodbye mega-hub hours away from your origin or destination), you decide when you take off (hello check-in only 15 minutes before departure); nonstop flights (goodbye Auntie Anne’s pretzel smell at hub airport). Your plane is ready for you when you are, not the other way around.  The extra level of luxury helps too. Glass of champagne, anyone?

Clients also appreciate that private jets keep them from having to share a commercial flight with 200 or more of their best friends. And as airlines offer fewer scheduled flights from smaller destinations, the potential to save time on a private jet is even larger. Once you’re used to luxury travel, it is hard to step back. So we anticipate that private jets are going to stick around, especially when traveling with a group (which helps keep costs in check).

A world “cruise” by private jet

Another trend: combining the variety and far-away-destinations of a world cruise with the efficiency, speed and comfort of a private jet.

Instead of cruising around the world by ship in 80 days or more, . Or enjoy the from the US to see a veritable Noah’s Ark: snow monkeys in Japan; orangutans in Malaysia; whale sharks in the Philippines; Bengal tigers in India; Gorillas in Rwanda and the Big Five in Kenya.

And those who fear seasickness on the Drake Passage to Antarctica (or want to maximize time) ask us about “Flying the Drake”.  We can even arrange a private jet to a “safari camp” in Antarctica, with a side trip to the geographic South Pole!

7)  Festive Fun

Whatever you celebrate, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, it is all less fun on your own. Staying home in 2020 has been hard on families. So many of our clients are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together in 2021. We’ve had questions about and the Caribbean (the best sell out far in advance, especially if you need connecting rooms or villas to accommodate your (grand)children!); an ; a ; a relaxing and a trip to celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland.  Once again, the early bird catches the worm!

8)  Looking and Booking Far Ahead…

With 3 years of demand being pushed into barely 1.5 year of supply, 2022 will be a very busy travel year. Some of the best suites on ships and hotels are already sold out, and fares are generally 25% higher than in previous years due to the additional demand.

Small capacity accommodations like safari lodges, villas but also small group escorted vacations and expeditions are also getting more limited in availability.

Trend: planning ahead now for vacations in 2022 and even 2023 will maximize your vacation dollar and  anticipation enjoyment.

9)  And Far Away…

After a year close to home, our clients appear to now want to go as far away as possible: and Europe are always popular, but Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica are top of the list for many of our new enquiries.

10)  Ask the Advisor

When the borders closed at the beginning of the pandemic, the advisors at Q helped our clients to get home from places as far away as Australia and South America. Our excellent relationships with many of our partners and countless hours working resulted in the best available refunds, credits or other benefits for our clients.  Our goal is to help our clients in making the right travel decisions.

“Do It Yourself” no more

A development we’re seeing?  Former “DIY” travelers decided in 2020 that planning travel is no fun for them anymore, with everchanging COVID regulations, refund rules, cancelled flights/cruises/hotels, hours of telephone hold time with airlines or online travel agencies.

They realize now that, without a travel advisor, you are on your own.  Q clients never are.

It is exciting that more places are slowly opening up to welcome visitors. We realize that not everyone is ready for travel yet, and of course it is a personal decision. We just want you to know that, when you feel that the time is right for you, the team at Q will be here to help.

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I am a curious (as in enquiring, not strange – I think) man.  Whenever I have the chance I’ll pick a window seat when flying.  Taking off from Sydney, our Virgin Australia flight took us over Botany Bay and beach suburbs around Sydney before flying across the blue-green forests of the Blue Mountains.  Soon, the earth’s colors changed to ochres and reds. Vegetation became more and more sparse as we flew towards the heart of Australia.  Massive white salt flats came into view – and then, without warning or surrounding mountain ranges, Uluru appeared at the horizon: a huge monolith in rust colors, majestically overlooking its domain.

After landing into the small airport of Uluru (Ayers Rock), our ride to the Sails in the Desert hotel only took about 15 minutes. The five-star option in Ayers Rock Resort, just outside of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, was recently renovated and a comfortable place to stay.  Its outdoor pool is a popular place to cool down between tours of the semi-arid desert, especially when the sun beats down in the middle of the day. It was about 42 degrees Celsius or 107 degrees Fahrenheit when we stayed.  (But it’s a dry heat…) That tends to be the hottest it gets, or so we were told.  Others cooled down in the air-conditioned comfort of their newly renovated rooms, all spread out in low-rise buildings throughout the resort. 

But you’re not visiting Ayers Rock Resort to stay in your hotel.  During our two-night stay, we truly made the most of our time:

What I was expecting:   

1. See Uluru (Ayers Rock)

What we ended up doing:                           

1. See Uluru (Ayers Rock) change color from earthy browns during the day to vibrant reds at sunset
2. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and Australian appetizers while the sun set over the desert, followed by a bush tucker inspired dinner with beautifully set tables overlooking Uluru
3. Learn to find the Southern Cross, depicted on Australia’s flag and only visible in the Southern hemisphere.   We marveled at the Milky Way during a stargazing session.  Due to the lack of artificial light,  the visibility is excellent.
4. Walk through the Field of Light, a masterful installation by internationally renowned artist Bruce Monro and his team.  50,000 handmade glass spheres gently glow and change colors in the night-time desert.  If you’d like to see this, you must move quickly: it is a unique temporary exhibit that will only be in Uluru until April 2018
5. Hike and drive around Uluru at sunrise, learning more about its sacred places, exploring watering holes and 7,000 year old Aboriginal rock art
6. Learn about the Aboriginal Anangui people who have called the heart of Australia home for generations
7. Watch four Anangui men dance and explain more about their culture
8. Be very pleasantly surprised that high-quality modern Australian cuisine (and wines, of course) are available in what frankly is the middle of nowhere
9. Hike the Walpa gorge between the massive domes of the Kata Tjuta rock formation (also known as the Olgas).  Our skilled guides taught us how the environment and geology evolved over millions of years
10. Find out about the ancient symbols of the desert. Learn how the Aboriginal people express their history and stories through dot paintings.  Next? An opportunity to express our own life stories by creating our own dot artwork
11. Enjoyed a progressive three-course camp-fire inspired dinner on top of an open-air vintage double decker bus, listening to amazing stories of pioneering history with the privilege of being the only visitors in the National Park after dark. 

What we didn’t do, but could have?  Enjoy the Red Ochre Spa at the resort; a scenic helicopter flight; relax by the pool and quite a bit more.

Uluru is on the typical “Sydney, Rock, Reef” itinerary for many American travelers.  To do it justice, you should try to spend more than one day here.  The official “Aussie Specialists” at ĐÓ°É´«Ă˝ are happy to help you plan your “Red Earth” discovery!

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