If Johnny Carson's Carnac the Magnificent was still on television, he would probably have a field day predicting next year's trends in the travel industry.
After all, this year created a lot of fodder for jokes and puns.
The reality, however, is that there are so many changes happening rapidly in the industry that it's hard to keep up with it all, though there are some travel experts who already see the serious changes for next year.
According to Stan Sandberg, founder of TravelInsurance.com, travel insurance has been growing consistently since 2012, at more than 10% per year. Next year, he predicts similar growth, bringing the overall U.S. travel insurance market to nearly $3.5 billion.
"The travel insurance industry is entering a period of high growth set by a confluence of factors, which together shift the way travelers view the need to protect their trip investments, driving many first-time travel insurance buyers into the market," said Sandberg.
Unfortunately, he predicts that Mother Nature may keep wreaking havoc while the threat of terrorism will continue to impact travel.
"The reality of global travel today is different from the glamour of past generations-with issues like long security lines, airline breakdowns and computer glitches becoming the norm," said Sandberg.
"On top of these inconveniences, today's traveler also has to contend with major travel disruptions, such as severe weather and terrorist attacks that can disrupt a trip even before it starts. While impossible to predict, the trend lines suggest that 2018 will bring more of the same."
In addition, he said that boomers, who are entering their retirement years, will continue to travel, leading to greater purchases of travel insurance. Millennials will travel in greater numbers as well.
"While Boomers may be more cautious about what could happen while on vacation, Millennials take calculated risks," explains Sandberg. "They are quite thoughtful about trip-planning, especially around a budget, and they understand the importance of protecting the things they purchases, whether it's an iPhone with AppleCare or a month traveling in Thailand with trip protection."
Culinary travel continues to be popular, and Justin Anderson, former director of operations at Revival Food Hall in Chicago and current director of hospitality at Denver's Zeppelin Station, predicts that the Tiki will earn additional respect next year:
The next evolution of Tiki will emerge in 2018 showcasing tropical influences from both the Caribbean and the Eastern islands. The next wave of culinary stars will introduce flavors and ingredients from specific regions and even hometowns. Think: Southern Indian cuisine from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, as well as Levantine cuisine from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey that offering menus formulated from generations of recipes specific to the region.
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