Expanding Travel Geographies
The hunger for authenticity, discovery, the “experience economy” and sense of adventure will push further the geographical boundaries of tourism and more “emerging” destination will be discovered and included in organized travel programs. That will be also helped by the “Open Skies” program, which finally will take off in the USA, thus permitting low budget airlines from around the world to be able to sell directly or through consolidators on the American market. This will permit cheaper and more diversified travel to more and less known countries and regions.
Photo: Struga, Macedonia. Photo credit: Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
From Virtual Reality to the Real World
Thanks to the User Generated Content (UGC) and Internet Social Networking (SSN) a lot of virtual initiatives will take a physical expression, specially in travel. That will also be triggered by the possibility for very concentrated target advertising to SIGs in these networks, previously a very expensive solution. The results: creating travel groups from virtual SSN groups and this way erasing the limits between the virtual and physical space.
Photo: Matochina Fortress, Bulgaria. Photo credit: Klearchos Kapustis. See more about this trip, which converted a facebook friendship in a real travel adventure here.
Dynamic Packaging for Dummies
Prerogative now only to highly specialized touroperators, dynamic packaging will be soon possible for individuals, thanks to new technology achievements and vaster access to information. While flight/car/hotel packages are already possible for dynamic packaging, events, sightseeing tours, etc., are not possible to book in the same system. Very soon, that will be possible. The effects: lower costs, highly individualized tourism product and more happy travelers.
Photo: Selimiye Mosque, Edirne, Turkey. UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Photo credit: Rossitza Ohridska-Olson. Edirne is still out of the radar of big touroperators, so dynamic packaging for dummies will help including it in the list of visited places.
Waking up and seeing the big picture
Population aging, health issues (both related with sedentary lifestyle and financial crisis) will push the conscious traveler to alternative solutions in health travel. That will expand the health travel to destinations offering these health solutions, such as mineral water treatments, traditional Chinese medicine cures, etc.
Photo: Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic. Photo credit: haddensavix
Creative Tourism
Forecasted as the next phase of development of the cultural tourism, the creative tourism will erase the boundaries between seeing, experiencing and participating in the creation of the cultural values, hence the cultural tourism product. Learning and involvement in the community life of other cultures, different from our own, will contribute to the extension of cultural horizons and convert the cultural traveler from an observer to a creator.
Photo: Plovdiv, Bulgaria - Museum Night 2008. Photo credit: Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
