The expert view

This week I had to give a talk in Manchester predicting trends in travel this year. An uncertain exercise, though it is not hard to identify some of the factors influencing where

A weak pound, especially against the US dollar, already means higher prices and, most likely, a fall in demand for travel to the United States and countries whose currencies are linked to the dollar. Political uncertainties in Turkey have cast a shadow over one of the most popular Mediterranean destinations. But Greece looks likely to benefit, especially because the pound’s value against the euro isn’t that far off the average rate over the past 10 years or so.

But thinking about the prospect for the next year or two also made me look back over some of the longer-term trends and developments. Travel isn’t just about destinations, it’s also about our social and psychological approach to holidays. Here are four trends that strike me as particularly relevant.

Independence Where once we relied on tour operators and travel agents to arrange almost all our overseas travel, for certain key types of trip – from city breaks to touring Europe, and sunshine breaks on the Med – most of us are now more than happy to make our own arrangements. This is partly because of the internet, partly because of no-frills airlines, but also I think because more travellers are so much more confident than a decade ago. It’s also testimony to the virtual erasure of language barriers. English has become almost universal.

Sociability Ironically, while we have become so much more independent, we also seem to be keener on travelling together. For many, travel is as much about people as places. Cruises – often one big social whirl – and group tours have been success stories in recent years.

Topicality Once the primary inspiration for most foreign travel was to get to see a place. Now many of us have, for example, already visited Paris at least once; we’ve probably been to Venice and Rome, too. These are wonderful destinations and, of course, we want to go back, but we look for a good reason to do so. Depending on your interests, sporting and other special events, art exhibitions, concerts, operatic productions, gourmet restaurants and anniversaries – any of these might provide just the excuse we need.

Distance The giant A380 doubledecker and Boeing’s new Dreamliner aircraft were built as a response to the growth in long-haul travel. But the Dreamliner, in particular, has also made what can be a grim experience much more enjoyable. More of us are prepared to travel much farther, much more often.

had missed our transfer and could either wait for the next one or make our own arrangements. There would be no refund.

I tried to speak to Eros, but the phone call was cut short. It was only through other staff at the airport that we learnt the next transfer was at 8am. We took a taxi to Salou, which cost us €180 (£155).

On its website, A2B states that it is so confident about its service that if things do not work, it will offer clients their money back. I approached A2B direct, but it refused to deal with me, saying I had to go via my travel agent. On our behalf, Travel Republic tried to obtain a refund of £79.80 (what we paid for the original transfer), but now says it has reached a stalemate with A2B and has closed the file.

As A2B has a “Be sure, be guaranteed” promise on its site, I think it should pay up for the inadequacies of its supplier. MAUREEN HAMMICK

ADeep in A2B’s terms and conditions, it does “recommend” that if your arrival flight is diverted, delayed or cancelled, you should