#Trending This Week - Bravecations, Thanksgiving Travel, Skillcations, Longer Holiday Trips, And 2025 Destinations
Issue 224 • November 26, 2024
If you are still checking your email today, we appreciate the read before the Thanksgiving holiday! Speaking of Thanksgiving, it is being reported that THANKSGIVING TRAVEL may be record breaking this year, and certainly will reach pre-pandemic levels. Travel + Leisure Magazine has released its list of WHERE TO GO IN 2025 and some of the destinations may surprise you. One of the growing REASONS PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING has to do with learning or perfecting a skill. What they are calling a “skillcation.” It also seems that REMOTE WORK IS ENABLING LONGER HOLIDAY TRAVEL this year as people lug the laptop and plan to work from wherever they may be relaxing. And finally it seems PEOPLE ARE BECOMING BRAVER ON VACATION and are much more willing to try out things they would never do at home. This ties into the experiential travel trend where people do and enjoy things on vacation which create a much more memorable occasion than simply lying on a beach chair. They then look back on that vacation or hotel with much fonder memories. Check it all out in our three-minute read below. And best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Where To Go Next Year
What will be the trending destinations for 2025? Travel + Leisure Magazine, perhaps one of the most noted authorities on travel, has rounded up a curated list of “The 50 Best Places To Travel In 2025,” and they’ve organized them according to interest: cultural immersion, nature lovers, moments on the water, food and drink, etc. Some are tried and true and others may surprise you. Read more in Travel + Leisure here. Photo courtesy of Visit Greenland.
Thanksgiving Travel May Be Record Breaking
As we head into Thanksgiving week, all signs are indicating this could be a record-breaking travel period, with a definite return to pre-pandemic levels. AAA is reporting 79.9 million people are expected to venture more than 50 miles away from home between today and the Monday after the holiday. Read more in Forbes here.
Skillcations Are Gaining Traction
Skillcations are vacations centered around learning, reflecting a revolution in soft and vocational skills development. Examples of skillcations include cheese-making in Switzerland, meditation and mindfulness courses in India, flamenco dancing in Spain, glacier research expeditions in Iceland, eco-tourism guide training in Costa Rica, dry stone walling in Wales, and ice sculpting in Harbin, China. Expanding your skillset while exploring a new place can help travelers tap into their intellectual curiosity and creativity in ways that carry into everyday life as well. Read more in HuffPost here.
Americans Are Taking Longer Trips For The Holidays
Workplace flexibility is enabling Americans to take longer holiday trips this season. About 49% of employed travelers are “laptop luggers,” or those who plan to work at some point on their holiday vacation. The flexibility which comes with remote work allows people to take trips they might not otherwise, or stretch their trips for longer. High earners are also driving holiday travel and spending trends this year. Read more in CNBC here.
A New Travel Phenomenon: The Bravecation
A new survey has identified emerging travel behaviors. We found one of particular interest: the Bravecation. Travelers tend to have a propensity to be braver when they go on holiday and are more likely to try things they wouldn’t at home. We agree with trying unusual food and climbing up something high as being “brave,” but the third finding of “talking to strangers” seemed a little odd to be an adventurous behavior. Read more in Travel Agent here.