As we enter a new decade, Tom Marchant, co-founder of the bespoke luxury travel company, Black Tomato, shares his insight on the trends that will be shaping global travel experiences of tomorrow.

The travel report by Black Tomato, in partnership with Euromonitor International research, recognises that the definition of “luxury” is evolving, and the “experience” phenomenon is becoming ubiquitous, something consumers are becoming increasingly de-sensitised to. The report instead charters a deeper course, where experience is synonymous with “personal fulfilment” and creating lasting change is seen as the new currency for the luxury travel market.

Disconnection and detoxing

Travellers are embracing JOMO (the joy of missing out) rather than falling victim to nomophobia (the irrational fear of being without your cell phone). They’re letting curiosity guide the way and relishing each moment as it happens — even if that means going joyfully off-piste. You cannot stage-manage a moment of emergent beauty, but you can create the conditions for its ripening.

According to the report, travellers aren’t looking for total disconnection, rather, windows of connectivity, especially when nearly 70% of consumers admit to staying connected to work on their holiday.

Therefore we are talking about a realistic digital detox; people are hoping to find time for themselves allowing for more breathing and thinking space within their itineraries.

“You have room to properly think”

Marchant commented: “Part of travel should be about learning and engaging with a place you are inspired by. Whilst technology may help inform us, I don’t believe it will be central in how, or where, we travel. We’re likely to start seeing places and experiences encouraging people to put technology to one side. When you’re there in the moment, you have room to properly think.”

Ultimately, there is a growing appreciation for personal reflection and finding a breathing space in a world that is always on and never off. Opportunity to switch off and renew your mind can be rare and sporadic, trips such as ‘Get Lost’ help you to disconnect and engage in the moment.

Pursuit of purity

When it comes to finding breathing space, travellers don’t just mean metaphorically.

80% of the global population lives under light-polluted skies. Taking time outside of densely populated areas to enjoy some breathing room is likely to be a growing movement, especially with research finding 34% of people want nature and outdoor activities on their holiday.

Black Tomato have seen an appetite for experiences and destinations that help to achieve calmness, clean air and nature unbound.

Next year, some travellers will surround themselves in deep woodland (forest bathing), while others will turn their eyes to the sky at night (astrotourism). Marchant added: “Astrotourism, and the pursuit of natural silence, allows us to take a step back and find clarity in our thoughts, and is slowly becoming a huge world movement.”