Why will it matter in 2023? There will be lots of new hotels and experiences launching in 2023 but with jet setters already thinking beyond the current year, sights will be set on options for 2024 and beyond. Itineraries will include the likes of the first Orient Express Hotel, Minerva, in Rome, cruises aboard MSC Group’s new ship Explora II (arriving summer 2024), the Six Senses Svart in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, Accor’s Mantis Masai Mara Eco-Lodge in Kenya, the Rosewood Miyakojima in Japan, and Aman’s Amanvari on the Sea of Cortés in Mexico (all in 2024). The Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills, Edition Lake Como and Park Hyatt Riyadh Diriyah Gate in Saudi Arabia will be on the 2025 must-visit list. Jenny Southan
17. Educational itineraries
What’s the trend? After missing out on two years of adventures, travellers are on a mission not to waste another second. Instead of visiting a destination and barely scratching the surface, travellers want to ensure their experiences are deeper and more meaningful than ever before, learning something new in the process.
Why will it matter in 2023? “Following a spate of post-pandemic revenge spending, we can now expect travellers to be more selective, placing higher value on fulfilling experiences that fuel their thirst for knowledge and personal growth in 2023”, says Adam Sebba, CEO and founder of The Luminaire. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by the luxury travel provider, almost 90% of respondents ranked the appeal of ‘luxury educational travel experiences’ at 8, 9 or 10 out of 10. According to Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, this is a trend we can expect to see a lot more of next year. “We’ve seen demand for itineraries designed with a purpose to acquire knowledge surge in 2022, and see this trend only picking up further pace next year,” he says. Their immersive and educative journeys in 2023 include gaining a deep understanding of Japan’s traditional architectural style by spending time with one of the country’s leading architects and taking part in the fight to protect the rare Black Rhino in Kenya with inside access to a team of vets and rangers to learn more about conservation efforts. Sarah Allard
18. The sound of silence
What’s the trend? Silent retreats, of course, date back millennia but the idea that silence is golden is at the heart of a growing trend in transformational travel. The Quiet Parks movement, founded in 2019, is a grass-roots organisation inspired by the idea that natural quiet has become an endangered species and needs to be protected. Annual awards are given to parks, trails, marine sanctuaries and urban spaces that offer extended periods of natural quiet, drawing on research showing how this helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves mental wellbeing, and encourages wildlife. It’s a movement that’s gaining momentum, with indigenous Cofans in Ecuador leading tours of the very first park to be awarded Quiet Park status, Zabalo River Wilderness Quiet Park, and US-based tour operator Recal redefining adventure travel for the mindful generation with deep-listening trips into the wilderness. Closer to home, in Carmarthenshire, lockdown inspired Lisa Denison to start Quiet Walks as a blog, but she’s since launched it as a guided-walks company, taking small groups around off-the-beaten-track routes in the Welsh countryside. They’re aimed at introverts like herself, who may feel overwhelmed in larger groups; but quiet walking benefits all types of hiker. “It doesn’t mean my walks are not sociable – they really are – but they also allow for moments of quiet, even if it’s just to hear a moment of birdsong or experience nature fully,” she says.
Why will it matter in 2023? Three years after “lockdown” became a word used outside the prison system for the first time, there’s not too much we miss about that period – but, well, it was blissfully quiet, wasn’t it? We could hear birdsong rather than traffic, the wind in the willows rather than planes overhead. With human-generated sound falling by up to eight decibels, it was the longest period of quiet in recorded history. Little wonder then, that with the return to normality and noise pollution, many of us are seeking respite: according to a recent survey by Booking.com, 40 per cent of respondents said they would consider a silent retreat in 2023. In the new year, Quiet Park status will be awarded to the American Prairie Reserve in Montana, Haleakala National Park in Hawaii and Namibrand Nature Reserve in Namibia, among others, while Quiet Trails will include the Kvarken Archipelago in Finland, and Urban Quiet Parks will be tested in Paris, Thessaloniki, Toronto and Brisbane. For many of us, 2023 will be a year for muting more than our Zoom calls. Rick Jordan