This year’s big trends . . .
LEISURE: Easier getaways and eco-friendlier cars
TRAVEL
TRAVELLERS, finally freed from the demands of home and the invasive pervasiveness of all-hours work e-mails, can increasingly expect the travel industry to treat their free time as the precious commodity it is.
In an effort to ensure not a second is wasted, standard but cumbersome forms of service are being reassessed and streamlined — Andaz luxury boutique hotels, for example, have already dispensed with check-in desks and instead have staff complete the process on tablets as they walk guests to their rooms.
Over the coming year you can also expect increasingly sophisticated customised apps to help you on your way. In the future, your phone will serve as your hotel room key; devices such as Google Glass will translate foreign-language menus and street signs instantly; and virtual-reality headsets will immerse you in a destination in detail before you travel there, meaning you will be able to “try before you buy” that three-week trip to Australia you have been dreaming about.
As consumers try to maximise their ever-dwindling reserves of free time, the types of holidays they choose to go on will change, too. Modern travellers are increasingly drawn to explore new, “untouched”, horizons, to accumulate different experiences and, hopefully, to return from their trip with a fresh perspective.
With a range of festivals set to mark the king’s 60th birthday in 2015, Bhutan, the exceptionally beautiful landlocked country at the eastern end of the Himalayas that was only opened to tourists in 1974, will attract significant interest.
Zimbabwe’s popularity as a holiday destination has plummeted, but local camp owners are joining forces to open high-end lodges and draw renewed attention to the country’s natural wonders. With the destination decided, all that is left to determine is with whom we
should spend our time. Multi-generational holidays — where entire families, from grandparents to grandchildren, travel together — are booming.
It makes sense: wherever you decide to spend your free time in 2015, a holiday surrounded by those you love is a good start.
MOTORING
WE will see many more ecofriendly cars on sale, using technology such as very small petrol engines and gearboxes that help minimise the amount of fuel used, combined with stripping out luxury touches in order to lower weight.
These “green” cars should tempt people who are feeling the financial pinch, as well as traditional tree-huggers; anything that reduces the amount spent at the pumps is welcome.
Scientists and research departments for brands will continue to develop the driverless car and look at the laws needed to make sure blame is apportioned correctly in accidents where no one is at the wheel: the big question is, who is insured?