If you are like us, then you are always on the lookout for weekend getaways and vacation ideas. We’ve selected five big travel trends of 2017 to give you ideas for your next trip! 

1.    Wellness becomes a priority when traveling 

Wellness travel is growing much faster than regular travel. Travelers are realizing the importance of recharging, resting and relaxing regularly to create a healthy work-life balance. 

Hotels around the world are taking initiatives to offer their clients an environment encouraging wellness and relaxation. A good example is on-demand meditation, the new trendy in-room amenity. An increasing number of hotels in New York City are offering their guests access to meditation tools such as an added option on the room’s TV. In San Francisco, the Zetta Hotel recently launched new suites that come with meditation headsets. In Puerto Rico, beach resorts are adding meditation areas throughout their properties and offer individual relaxation guidance in addition to their fitness and spa amenities. 
 

2.    The world is better connected 

While overall, passengers generally prefer nonstop over one-stop flights, researchers have found that the number and quality of indirect connections grew faster than nonstop flights in the last decade. Regional low-cost carriers have proliferated and 10,000 new routes have been added, serving over 37,000 city pairs.

According to the CIA’s World Factbook, there are 41,821 airports in the world including about 1,280 international hubs. This means that secondary routes are key in making the world better connected and thus somewhat smaller. How does it impact passengers? Well, you can now travel to the most remote places in less than 36 hours!
   

3.    Travelers go solo 

Traditionally perceived for hippie backpackers or lonely souls, solo traveling is one of the biggest trends for the industry with about 15% of all travelers specifically seeking solo experiences. Solo travelers are usually looking for more individualized, personal and enriching travel experiences. Generally speaking, solo travelers want to discover a new place, immerse themselves in a new culture, and learn new skills. 

According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, women travelers are the driving force of this trend with 74% who had either already traveled alone or were planning on travelling solo. In the last six years, the number of women-only travel companies has increases by 230%.
 

4.    Vanishing destinations are the new trendy spots

As the general public is becoming more aware of the consequences of climate changes, destinations at risk of disappearing will see a rise in tourist traffic. There's an urgency to visit places before they are forever changed. 

The Arctic and Antarctic are becoming very popular destinations as the impact of climate change on these regions is rapidly advancing.  Another top destination is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. More and more adventure travelers are planning diving trips before the coral bleaching phenomena changes the reef forever.
 

5.    Gastronomic tourism opens travelers’ appetites

At some point during any trip, it always comes down to food. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that food tourism has made it to the top emerging trends among travelers no matter the destination and travel companies have definitely noticed it. 
 
According to the World Tourism Organization, travelers are no longer seeking food experiences by simply dining out; they add cooking classes, farm tours, food markets and gastronomic events to their trip itinerary.
 
This trend is closely connected to other trends such as adventure travel or culture immersion. Food is intimately tied to the culture and history of a location and many travelers consider it to be one of the best ways to get to know the place they're traveling.  
   

Photo credit: istockphoto