The 5 Trends That Will Dictate The Future Of Tourism

The announcement of an international lockdown came alongside the despair of aspiring pilots, disappointment of travel enthusiasts, and the woes of many businesses – big and small ones akin. In due time, everything will return to normal. Hopefully. But meanwhile, it is imperative we adapt to the “new normal” with haste – or risk being eliminated by a global crisis at an unprecedented scale.

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Here are some undisputable changes to the tourism scene that we can expect.

1) Taking the “inter” out of “international”

The desire to explore the world cannot be curbed just because a crisis struck. Tourism may be unfeasible in other countries, but as this door shuts, others are opening up.

Hotels and tourist attractions are shifting their focus to locals, and their unique selling proposition quickly took the stance of a “relaxing weekend” to get away from work.

Coincidentally, WFH and the new trend of working-past-office-hours became a new driving force for a balanced lifestyle by taking these within-the-country “vacations”.

2) Rekindling the love of nature

Forget a luxurious flight across the border, or a fancy meal at the highest building in another country. They will be taking the backseat for a while.

Instead, road trips and activities like hiking will kick into high gear, as we fully indulge our selves in whatever exploration that is left available to us.

The core of traveling, after all, feeds on curiosity, exposure to newness, and the wonderment of the journey itself – hardly the destination.

3) One-man sport

What used to be courageous, spontaneous, and fun-loving, is now turning into a phenomenon at scale.

Back when travelling was still viable (actually, it wasn’t even that long ago), booking a plane ticket and leaving the next day by yourself was dominating the bucket lists of many individuals. Now, you can wake up on the weekends, put on your sports outfit, and start exploring the ins-and-outs of your city like it was a weekly routine.

Travelling, whether or not we like it, has been redefined in more ways than one – and many will agree that it is, indeed, for the better.

4) Augment Reality (AR)

Remember when Pokémon Go went viral upon release, and had people of all ages exploring the streets to “catch them all”? Even though the mystic creatures weren’t actually there, it was made realistic with augmented reality.

And of course it was a success, seeing how it managed to populate parks that were relatively abandoned over the years.

And over recent times, this same augmented reality has become increasingly popular within the tourism scene. Without actually being there, it replicates the entire experience to the best of our technological advancements.

It is difficult for it to eventually replace real-time travelling, but for now, this is as good as it gets.

5) Virtual Reality Tours

This is another disruptive trend that, even when operations are back to normal, may stay for good.

Through these VR tours, customers can witness tourist attractions and local authentic experiences – all at the comfort of their own homes.

Forget the jet lags, overweight luggage, and cumbersome itinerary planning. Now, it is entirely possible to wake up and be in another country – on demand.

Trally, a virtual tourism application, was birth in times like these to make sure that wander lusters are still getting their fix of travelling joys. On the app itself, you can either opt to be a host, where you show others around your city and earn a side income while you’re at it.

And if you’re the on the other spectrum, you’ll want to sign up as a guest and start exploring the world at the comfort of your own home!

Like it or not, tourism is here to stay

The definition may be formulated, and tourism may start taking up different shapes and forms. But at the end of the day, this curiosity within us cannot be expunged.

We’re in a hopeful position right now, and it is exhilarating to be the generation that gets to witness the transformation of tourism – whether it be for better or worse.

Explore now, and stay safe.