Off the beaten track
FROM HOME SWAPPING TO ASTRO TOURISM, THESE ARE THE TRENDS SHAPING TRAVEL IN 2024
If you are a travel bug and fond of trying out new ways of hitting the great outdoors, 2024 presents many new avenues for tourism that are fast picking up around the globe. From offbeat trips and stays to all new adventures, the choices are varied. Consider these few options:
Astro tourism
What’s the trend? Astronomy, of course, is a field of study that has been around since the dawn of civilisation, and the act of gazing up at the stars has long been a source of soul-soothing wonder. Today, the more society falls deeper into an ever-expanding virtual world, the more we feel a need to broaden our horizons in the real universe.
Astro tourism is the act of travelling with the aim of catching sight of astronomical phenomena - disappearing to lands devoid of any pollution, crowds, and traffic, where we can focus solely on the skies above and while away hours gazing at the stars, planets, and constellations overhead.
Why will it matter in 2024? Increasingly, wellnesscentric hotels and spas are creating the space for guests to gaze upwards, watching for comets, spying constellations, and identifying patterns in the glittering expanse.
In the UK, Port Lympne has opened the Lookout Bubble, a glass dome allowing guests to sprawl out on king-sized beds and study the stars. Further east on the Arabian Gulf, Zulal Wellness Resort is surrounded by the expanse of the Qatari desert - the ultimate destination for pollution-free astromancy, with dedicated workshops and stargazing sessions for families and children looking to learn more about the cosmos.
Safari company Desert & Delta organises trips for travellers looking to soak up the stars across Botswana and Namibia, where guests can sleep in tents at remote locations such as the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the world’s largest salt flats, and spend nights with uninterrupted star vistas.
Similarly, Tswalu is a South African safari camp with star beds set on a sleep-out deck in the Korannaberg mountains. And 2024 happens to be a big year for the skies with mind-boggling eclipses to spectacular meteor showers in the offing.
Eco diving
What’s the trend? A rise in divers choosing their travel destinations based on the sustainability of the scuba centres, and having a more positive and regenerative impact on the ocean once there.
Why will it matter in 2024? In 2022, UK marine ecology charity The Reef-world Foundation found that 95% of divers wanted to book with sustainable operators, but struggled to do so. In response to this, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (a.k.a. Padi) launched its Eco Center accreditation on World Earth Day in 2023, with the United Nations Environment Program and Reef-world itself.
The steps required to earn this green status are so rigorous, including sharing evidence of conservation activities and a real reduction in environmental footprint, that Padi advised operators to allow at least 12 months to hit the criteria - taking us to Earth Day 2024.
After an initial figure of just 11 worldwide, there are now 100 accredited operators, and Padi has set a goal to reach 660 by 2030 - a tenth of its membership. “South East Asia currently has the highest density (more than 20), along with the Caribbean,” says Julie Andersen of Padi.
“The type of conservation work done and reported on depends on the Eco Center,” Andersen explains. “Those in the Caribbean offer coral replanting programmes, key for regenerating coastlines. In Baja, Mexico, they’ve developed citizen science courses, collecting data for whale conservation.”
There are also a number of new Padi courses being launched for any diver to take anywhere, including the Global Shark and Ray Census in August 2024, as well as the relaunch of the Coral Reef Conservation Speciality course before December.
Home swapping
What’s the trend? Increasingly, discerning travellers are looking to stay away for longer stretches, while the rise of remote jobs means that working and living abroad has never been more appealing. The catch? Forking out on hefty accommodation fees while you’re at it. Enter home swapping: the perfect solution to guarantee yourself a (free) home abroad while you offer up your own in exchange for weeks or even months at a time.
Why will it matter in 2024? As the cost of travelling continues to climb, home swapping is an affordable alternative to splashing out on expensive hotels or Airbnbs. And while the concepts of couch surfing and house exchanges have existed for decades, several slick new platforms are redefining what home swapping looks like today.
Twin City, which operates in cities like as Lisbon and Los Angeles, has curated a community of over 1,100 carefully vetted users in just eight months. For an annual subscription fee of about US$189, members can find Twins to connect with through the platform, and are encouraged to exchange local recommendations for their city as well as their homes, enabling members to feel as if they’re swapping with a trusted friend rather than a stranger.
Meanwhile, Kindred, a home-swapping platform where members rack up credits for each night that they exchange homes, raised Us$15mn in funding this year to expand operations across the US and Europe, and currently has more then 10,000 homes in over 50 cities. Members simply pay a cleaning and service fee for each stay, while the cost of the stay itself is free.
Train station dining options
What’s the trend? Train stations around the world are usually passed through as quickly as possible, having not been designed for commuters to stay and hang out. Nowadays, as travel delays increase and visitors want more local experiences, it pays for train stations to welcome travellers with shops, restaurants, and bars for them to explore.
In an effort to create a more dynamic visitor experience, historic train stations are now being revamped, with bespoke food and drink offerings as an integral part of the redesign.
Why will it matter in 2024? As train stations are renovated to accommodate more travellers and update old infrastructure, local restaurants and bars are being added to attract more customers. In 2023, the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City became home to The Irish Exit, a bar from the team behind the acclaimed Dead Rabbit, and Yono Sushi by trendy Bondst, plus outposts of beloved NYC restaurants Pastrami Queen and Jacob’s Pickles, with Mexican hotspot La Esquina coming soon.
As part of its renovation, Toronto’s Union Station launched Union Market in May 2023 with favourite local food retailers Manotas Organics, Chocolatta Brigadeiro’s, Patties Express, and Kibo.
In the UK, Platform 1, a new bar and restaurant, opened in November underneath Glasgow Central Station. The cave-like space, with its historic brick arches, serves street-food-style dishes and craft brews made in the on-site microbrewery.
Meanwhile, in Somerset, Castle Cary station is in the process of a revamp, creating a creamery, cafe, and co-working space, which is set to open in 2024.