Slow, sustainable and immersive travel is 2023’s tourism trend: from crossing Europe by train to trekking the Arctic Circle, high-end holidaymakers now seek a more meaningful escape
- Luxury Action has hosted celebs like Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke and cricketer Virat Kohli, while Sienna India has designed trips for George Bush and Mariah Carey
- Belmond, the group behind the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, have added new luxury suites and fresh routes criss-crossing Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands
Box-ticking, highlight-skimming holidays are now cliché. Post pandemic, travellers are retrofitting their travel bucket lists with slower-paced, more meaningful and longer sojourns, especially after such a long period of confinement. Some prefer to immerse themselves in the cultural and scenic diversity of Europe via train travel – the slower the better – while discerning explorers are searching for tranquillity and perhaps a little adventure in the snow-covered tundra of the Arctic Circle.
The “2022 Global Travel Trends” study conducted by American Express Travel confirms widespread changes in the rationale of travellers – 76 per cent of respondents planned to travel more with family in the current year than they did in 2021, while 81 per cent showed interest in travelling to destinations where they could immerse themselves in the local culture.
“The past two years proved how special exploration can be, as well as the weight our travel decisions hold for local communities. Looking ahead, travellers are making decisions with purpose in mind – from understanding where their money is going to finding time to connect with loved ones,” says Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel.
“Stay duration increased, especially among families travelling together,” says Davis Gerber, a photographer and marketing professional at Cuixmala, who has spent more than half a decade capturing the area’s natural beauty and expansive landscapes, along with the traditional Mexican cultures the property seeks to preserve.
Nestled on the coast, Cuixmala’s 40 rooms grant access to 12,140 hectares of nature reserve, offering plenty of ecological and cultural experiences for long-staying guests. The property has watersports and beach activities, horse riding, a marine turtle sanctuary, and even zebra and eland animal reserves.
“Cuixmala has always appealed to more eco-conscientious travellers, but Covid-19 lockdowns and supply chain issues certainly heightened everyone’s awareness, so there has been even more of an appreciation for the farms and eco initiatives the hotel has always had in place,” he adds.
Nick Davies, projects director at Cookson Adventures, a bespoke travel planning company, echoes Gerber’s sentiments. “Extended trips are definitely on the rise,” he said. “If people are going to put in all the effort to take Covid precautions and get PCR tests done, then they would like to be away for a little bit longer and travel more meaningfully.”