Biggest Travel Trend of 2020

Do you ever wonder where you spend on money on while traveling? Is it going towards harming the environment further or bringing the balance back to the ecosystem? If yes, you are part of the growing breed of environment-conscious travelers who are going to define the world travel in the coming decade.

The biggest travel trend of 2020 is not going to be focused on destinations but the 'way we travel'. Eco-friendly travel choices are going to take the center stage for travelers around the world, as we all wake up to the demon of climate change. Thanks to people like Greta Thunberg, the teenage Swedish environment activist, whose work has inspired millions of young people across the globe to make lifestyle changes for saving our planet.

According to a new research by Agoda, the world's fastest growing digital travel platform, 'travelers across the world have become more aware of sustainable travel and more than a quarter of them want to make environment friendly travel choices in the coming decade'. As much as this is a good news for us, it also means a rise in the trend of 'Vegan Hotels, Transformational Tourism, Going Local, Undertourism and Train Travel.

It is time that we all make these choices and if you feel lost in the plethora of eco-friendly travel suggestions, here is your guide to ride the wagon of sustainable travel in 2020:

Undertourism

It simply means going to a less popular, not-much-commercialized destination which is yet to leave its mark on the world travel map. By visiting such places travelers are serving the dual purpose of giving a breather to the overcrowded tourist places and helping the local economies at these destinations.

From Albania to Algeria, Brussels to Trieste, people are preferring off the grid places over flashy and famous destinations. Closer home, why not try exploring hidden Himalayan or coastal villages than checking off the usual from your bucket list? I bet these experiences will give you a better story to tell.

Going Local

When in Rome, dress like Romas. It may be an old adage but a wise one. Nothing reduces your negative footprints on a place better than this one.

Eat local food, live at local homes or home-stays, and in the process help the local communities flourish. Your reduced requirement of luxuries will spare the local ecosystem as well. Ever wondered how those luxury hotels at Himalayan towns afford to provide a bathtub to you while local residents strive for tap water at their homes?

Transformational Travel

This is an extension of 'Going Local', and a new phrase for 'Experiential Travel'. This kind of travel experience is about going local at a much deeper level. When you seek meaningful travel, life-changing experiences, live truly with locals, explore the flora and fauna of a region, go for unplanned explorations and imbibe the culture, grow by learning a different way of being, that is transformational travel. The best things about this is that it can be done at any destination. As I said, the trend is about how you choose to travel and experience the world, and not where you go.

Train Travel

As people are realizing the impact of emissions and trying to reduce their carbon footprints, they are increasingly choosing to travel by trains over flights. Flygskam or "flight shame" is a termed propagated by environmentalists to discourage flying and promote the more eco-friendly mode of transport - the train travel. So, what would you choose for your next trip?

Reusable Travel Products

Right from abandoning single-use plastic water bottles to carrying your own cup or solar charges to eco-friendly toiletries, you can find multitudes of sustainable travel products in the market. It is just a matter of making a choice to continue using them and make a lasting impact. Small behavioral changes such as bringing your trash back from high altitude treks, and refilling water bottles whenever you get a chance instead of buying a new one, will transform you into an environmentally- conscious traveler.

Vegan Hotels

This one is comparatively difficult to follow than above mentioned trends. As being Vegan is a lifestyle, a change which many might not agree with. It is however, an excellent way to care for our environment and give back positive footprints. May be that is the reason why vegan hotels have mushroomed at almost every place and even if you don't find one, it is not impossible to get a vegan-customized meal at a regular hotel.

All these travel trends are behavioral and define a change in the way people travel in the coming decade. So, while you plan your first trip of 2020, keep these in mind and make a sustainable travel-choice.

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