The health emergency prevents us from traveling as in the past, limiting even the shortest journeys.
The consequences are evident in our daily life and economically heavy for the world of tourism which, however, looks positively to 2021, when we can return to move with greater freedom.
The ability to adapt to the situation brings out new trends and perspectives: we will travel safely, with renewed methods and times, but always with the desire to discover places and experience.
By analyzing our behaviors and preferences in recent months, the online travel site Volagratis.com has identified six new forms of travel, six phenomena that will characterize our next trips and that tourist organizations, airlines, hotels and accommodation facilities will have to consider.
The first is the "staycation", the holiday close to home, which has led us to rediscover our cities and their surroundings.
It is a phenomenon born following the restrictions imposed by the health emergency, which have led to a decrease in air and rail travel and to choose "short-haul" destinations to do by car.
This is also demonstrated by the data recorded this summer: domestic tourism has developed above all in Italy and Spain, passing from 36 to 54 percent of travelers who have chosen to remain within national borders.
Not surprisingly, hotels posted a 9 percent growth over the previous year.
In France, growth in home travel was more contained - from 21 to 33 percent - while in Germany and Great Britain there was a sharp decrease.
The "staycation" trend will surely accompany us also in 2021 because it is a safe and comfortable way to travel.
The second phenomenon is "workation", linked to the new trend of working remotely in holiday resorts.
It is a habit that is developing and that we will certainly find again in 2021: in a house by the sea or in the mountains or, better still, in hotels or resorts with advanced digital services and rooms that allow you to always stay connected but also to enjoy, once the computer is turned off, a walk outdoors in dream places.
Many hotels and accommodation facilities are already equipping themselves for these needs and to offer services dedicated to those who want to work and always feel a bit on vacation in the coming months.
The third trend is the return of last-minute holidays with the possibility of looking for the best offer, without waiting and without the nightmare of cancellations.
Booking too in advance in this period of uncertainty, in fact, is no longer part of the habits of Italians when it comes to travel.
Far from the crowd is the fourth trend: social distancing is now a custom and a necessity in this year's trips and certainly also in those of the next.
Therefore, holidays away from the crowds are preferred, off the classic tourist itineraries or immersed in nature, for example enhancing lake or mountain villages and itineraries far from inhabited centers.
In particular, there is the interest in high-altitude destinations, which emerged already this fall with an increase in searches on Volagratis.com by 39 percent compared to the same period of 2019.
Another habit, which however is not new, is which we will have to get used to for next year too is traveling slowly, that is, taking your time to immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of a place, traveling on foot or by bicycle and favoring longer stays.
Compared to last year, in fact, the duration of the trips is on average longer: for flights, it goes from 4.26 to 4.47 days;
for "flight + hotel" from 5.43 to 6.62 and for "hotel only" from 2.09 to 2.65 days.
This year we have given up on parties and ceremonies in groups or as a family, but for 2021 the expectation and above all the hope is for a growth in group bookings, to travel with the whole family or to meet up with friends somewhere. of the world.
Family travels will therefore return to the trend, in the company of children or close relatives, because for many the important thing is not where you go, but with whom you go.
(HANDLE).