The Trends Shaping Travel in 2018

There's no shortage of travel trend predictions for the coming year. A Google search of the topic turns up more than four million results.

So when it comes to gauging what the year ahead may have in store for travel and the travel industry, TravelPulse decided to tap someone who has decades of inside experience not only interpreting trends but also creating them.

As vice president of sales and marketing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Betsy O'Rourke oversees advertising, public relations, websites/e-commerce and more for a global travel company that is the largest national and state park concessioner in the United States. Xanterra additionally offers cruises, walking tours, bicycle tours, safaris and rail tours.

During more than 25 years in the industry, O'Rourke has crafted award-winning marketing campaigns and developed innovative promotions for not only Xanterra but also Wyndham Worldwide and Royal Caribbean International.

Based on all of this experience, she recently shared thoughts about the top trends and areas of growth that the industry will likely be focusing on in 2018. Among them are multi-generational travel, single female travel, celebratory travel and wellness travel.

Multi-generational Travel

The combination of families being increasingly spread out geographically these days, the affordability of travel and a desire among Boomers to check off items on their travel bucket list, has triggered enormous growth in multi-generational travel, says O'Rourke.

"It used to be that one out of six trips were multi-generational travel," began O'Rourke. "Today it's one out of three trips. It's really grown. It is the fastest growing category."

It's a growth trend that's likely to continue throughout 2018 because multi-generational travel checks off so many boxes, O'Rourke explained. Not only do such trips provide quality time for families to reconnect in today's fast-paced world, they're a fun getaway for kids and an opportunity for the entire family to share experiences.

Solo Travel

Solo travel is hardly new. But this category is currently witnessing the emergence of an increasing number of female solo travelers, particularly over the age of 50.

"More than 30 percent of women who are 50-plus are single, divorced, widowed, or never chose to get married," explained O'Rourke. "So you have this very large population of single women who have time and money and they can spend it."

Solo female travelers are active people who want to see the world but want to do it safely, often with a group, O'Rourke added, making this yet another rapidly growing segment of travelers that tour operators and travel companies will want to keep in mind as they plan for 2018 and beyond.

Many companies are already acknowledging the growth of this particular demographic by occasionally offering promotions that do away with the single traveler supplement fee that's historically been charged for lone travelers booking a cruise or a tour.

"A lot of tour operators are looking at that carefully and saying 'Hey I want to accommodate that customer,'" O'Rourke continued. "We often offer all kinds of special rates for solo travelers because we see that as a significant, growing market."

Celebratory Travel

The millennial generation is all about celebratory travel, which is driving significant growth in this category. Whether it's a destination engagement, bachelorette party, or wedding, marking major milestones with a fabulous trip is definitely a thing among millennials.

"This generation doesn't have kids yet, they don't have as many major expenses and they can spend money on travel and they want to do so," said O'Rourke "They're not concerned with material things, they'd rather spend their money on experiences and that includes travel for life's celebrations and major events."

Wellness Travel Beyond the Spa

Wellness travel is expanding far beyond the typical facial, pedicure and massage at a spa.

Travelers today want wellness getaways to be active and include such things as walking tours, biking tours, experiences with new cultures, new foods and more. All of these various things are now falling under the wellness title, said O'Rourke.

"In the past, people pigeonholed wellness as a spa vacation, but it is no longer limited to that," said O'Rourke. "Wellness is all about being physical and expanding your boundaries. I see this as a significant trend."

Ultimately, said O'Rourke, many of these emerging developments are tied together and can be traced back to one thing - Baby Boomers living longer, healthier lives.

"They are much more focused on staying active and they want to maintain their health while traveling."

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