We’re of the opinion that any vacation is a good vacation, whether it’s in your own backyard or to the ends of the earth. It’s been such a joy to see travel return this year after a 2020 spent largely at home. With the travel industry basically rebooting, there have been fits and starts this year, but 2022 is shaping up to be a great year for getting away. We’re seeing some trends in our 2022 bookings that hint at what will be popular.
Escorted tours
It’s very likely that strict and complicated entry protocols will remain in place throughout next year. If past is prologue, they will change often. Our escorted tour partners are very good at staying on top of the latest requirements and making sure everyone on the tour knows what to do and when to do it. Plus, their guides are fantastic and they often get special access to exclusive experiences and after-hours behind the scenes visits to some of the most heavily trafficked attractions. They also have premium space at the finest hotels. Tour directors are with you every step of the journey to answer any questions and keep things running smoothly.
Multigenerational trips
With so much time separated from each other, people are planning to make up for lost time next year by taking the whole family on an epic trip to re-form bonds that may have frayed and get to know one another again. A multigenerational trip can be a celebration of the things that bring us together, a journey into our families as much as a journey into a destination. We’ve missed our families a great deal over the past year and a half, and the big reunions will be grand occasions.
Cruises
They’ve resumed in a lot of places and gotten what they can out of a shortened season, but 2022 is shaping up to be a great year for heading back out on the rivers and oceans with full seasons and exciting itineraries. Expedition cruises will venture to the far corners of the world to reveal how nature has been getting on without us. Ocean and river vessels will take us back to sun-kissed islands and into the hearts of great cities. Small ships and yachts will call at lesser-known ports away from the crowds and deliver new cultural experiences that will pique the interest of even the most seasoned travelers.
Longer stays
Many of us haven’t been able to stray too far from home for too long. Next year, we’ll make sure those vacations really get us relaxed and make us forget about the worries of everyday life. The pandemic has prompted a lot of partners to expand their apartment, villa and private home collections, so they now have tons of options for longer stays with all the comforts of home. It will give you the perfect opportunity to live out your fantasies of spending your days integrating yourself into the daily workings of that small town, or to call one of the poshest addresses in your favorite city home for a couple weeks.
More aspirational journeys
The pandemic has reinforced for all of us how precious life is and how creating moments we’ll remember forever is the best part of life. We all no doubt put things off until “someday” in the before times. For a lot of us, that someday is in 2022, and we’re going to make sure we go on the adventure we always talked about but never got around to planning. We’re going to really attack that bucket list and come back with a story to tell, grateful for the chance to become one with the world. What trip have you been dreaming about?